Champion of Zero
by Cakes Kegs Eggs
Summary: Louise summoned the embodiment of madness, but she also summoned a champion, the seventh Champion of Cyrodiil to be exact. And all in one body. The youngest Valliere is definitely not ready to deal with this as with the world. Rated T for madness... you do know there's a side of madness that ain't pleasant, right? - Needs a Beta.
1. Rainy days are His day

***snickers* I don't know what I was thinking when I titled this fic.**

**This story is un-beta'd. So if you wish to beta this story, feel free. PM me, I'll accept advice, suggestion, and constructive criticism gladly.**

**If you find errors in my writing, point that out in the review.**

* * *

_Heroes never existed in the first place… until the Dragon broke. And the __Divines have this horrible habit to make them a prisoner first. Probably to show how much a prisoner they are to fate, forced to write the Event. Some knew, some sensed, some were oblivious as they did it willingly._

* * *

**Rainy days are His day.**

* * *

_I have great confidence when it comes to Summon Servant spell!_

She wanted to cringe at the words that came out of her mouth. Why did she say that, to Kirche of all beings? Why? She stuffed her head into the pillow in humiliation.

What if she fails? What if no servant came and all she summoned was… nothing, zero. _Zero_, she gritted her teeth together at that name. Louise the Zero, that's what they called her. That's what she will always be if she fails. She will not fail! No! Her eyes flashed at the thought but quickly the fire vanished with another thought.

Oh Brimir, what would mother think of her if she came back home with nothing, nothing to her name, nothing to prove that she was a Valliere.

She must not fail then. Her hands tightened their grip on the pillow. She. Must. Not. Fail.

* * *

Cold droplets pattered down against his purple cloak, but he stood there, soaked through beneath the dark skies.

He wasn't able to come back. No, he couldn't. He changed and when he changed, Nirn rebuked him. But his power grew as he slowly underwent change, and when he was able to resist the push, it was too late.

The seventh Champion of Cyrodiil stared emptily at the ruin streets of the Imperial City. Black charred skeleton of what once charming buildings was now the remains of his home city. It seems like the Thalmor was very thorough when it comes to destroying the citizen's home, their livelihood.

His livelihood was destroyed ages ago, but that was the past. Everything that he knew, was no longer familiar to him. Once colorful, so cheerful, gone like yesterday. The people dead and those who remains were always frowning grimly as they escort injured Imperial soldiers to the temples. And now the only smile that grace the face of Cyrodiil's citizen, was from a ten year old orphan, who was asking what it was like to be away from… here.

"A lot more colorful than here, definitely," he told her when they seated themselves beneath the statue of The Dragon. The only thing left, the only thing constant, the only thing that stood in testament even after the ransack.

"Really?" she asked him dreamily with her arms wrapped around her knees as she lean against one of the cold dragon legs.

"Really," he told her. "Come, you'll like it." He stood up and offered his hand.

She hesitated before standing up, her small cold hand grabbed onto his, then she smiled… But there was something wrong with that smile. It was a dreamy smile, out of place in a ruined world. Too detached. He had found her standing over an elf's body, hands on fire from a spell while giggling and whispering to her imaginary friend. Definitely far into the golden road.

This war… it had changed so much. Brought so many followers already. It made him powerful.

"Will there be flowers?" she asked as he covered his cloak over her head, shielding her from the rain. "Like blue ones? Because no flowers are growing outside anymore," she said quietly. "The field is too bloody for them to grow now."

He said nothing as they walked the deserted part of the Imperial City.

"There are grasslands full of flowers," he finally answered as they stepped over the ruins of a gate. "Very nice place. Always sunny. Beautiful too."

"Beautiful than Azura's realm?" she asked.

"Blindingly beautiful?" he frowned as he thought about it, "no. But maddeningly, yes." He grinned and stopped before a black armored horse. He lifted her up onto the saddle and followed after her.

"What's the catch?" she asked as he clicked his tongue.

"Well, you want to be a witch?" he said nonchalantly.

"A Vigilant of Stendarr says witches are bad," she said as the horse suddenly moved under them.

"Some are, but you won't, will you?" he asked with a smirk.

"Will I be ugly like a Hagraven?" she wrinkled her nose.

"Do you want to?"

"No."

"Then you won't be."

"Can't be that simple." She frowned as the horse trotted across the muddy field.

"What's not to like about turning a poor soul into a toad?" He smiled at the child's innocent manner, if she weren't some powerful and already _demented_ mage. "Well, it don't matter anyway. That was the deal, wasn't it?" he asked slyly.

"The book wasn't very specific on this," she murmured this to herself. "What kind of Daedra are you?"

"A Prince." His smile widening and twisted into a manic demented grin.

"Eh?! A prin—" she swiveled her head around as Shadowmere launched herself into the empty air.

Purple vortex burst around them, and swallowed them whole from the face of Nirn.

* * *

Explosion burst, and Louise coughed violently as the smokes blew away. She looked up as students around her groan, but she didn't care. The familiar was more important.

There, in front of her was a circle of blackened ground, still smoking from the explosion. Squinting her eyes, she searched for a figure, for something, for anything. She searched, and searched, walking up closer as her eyes rack through the sight in front of her.

Nothing.

A small tiny part of her cracked.

No…

They started talking around her, calling out _Zero!_ Laughter followed. Her burning ears could hear Kirche's voice ringing the loudest.

"Miss Valliere."

No…

Her hands shook as she looked down and stared at her shoes. Her vision wobbling as her eyes turned watery.

"Miss Valliere!"

Rule of Steel. Rule of Steel. Rule of Steel. Her face smoothened, almost hardening as she looked up to her bald teacher, Mr. Colbert.

Mr. Colbert's face was impassive, unreadable as he stood tall before her.

"Please follow me." His eyes met against hers calmly before breaking contact. "Class dismissed!" he barked, silencing the callings with his sharp tone.

She was thankful for that. It meant the jeers would stop and go away. It meant she didn't need to hear them. It also meant she might be leaving this ground, forever.

* * *

They've given her three days. And this was her last day before she leaves this school. She didn't felt like sleeping because of it.

It was very early in the morning when Louise stood before her window. The sound of rain beating against glass filled the silent grim air. It had started raining yesterday night, and they meant students were inside, and that meant she has to face them when she leaves.

She bit her lips. Why should she care? Why did she care about it so much? Why did she want to show them? They were nothing! Except… she was the one that was nothing. A zero.

She had been thinking about it. The summoning. How it went wrong. It was a mistake. A mistake. It must be! She had protested very loudly about that but was lectured very thoroughly that it was _wrong_ to question against a holy ritual.

She gritted her teeth together. Louise is a Valliere, and Valliere's are strong, hard, impassive… cold, like steel. But Louise had her own trait, she was stubborn. It was what made her spirit lasted long as her classmates taunted her.

And a Valliere don't give up. She looked at the summoning ground and made her decision right there and then.

* * *

_A small figure stood beneath the beating rain. Cloaked and hooded but an arm swept out with a wand in its hand._

"Have some tea," he told the colossal black gem.

"You do know I can't drink that," his ex-mentor's voice this hollowly.

"I know." He grinned manically and turned to face an ethereal blue assassin. "Lucien?" he held the silver teapot.

"This isn't the reason why you summon me, right?" The ghost's voice hardened.

He pursed aloud then said; "yes," and nodded cheerfully.

The ghost assassin glared violently before simply fading away.

"Well that was damn rude!" he suddenly snarled and slammed the teapot hard onto the table, shattering the plate into pieces.

"Calm down, friend."

"It's ruined! **RUINED!**" he snapped and glared at the air filled with ethereal glowing motes. "This was your idea to begin with, Martin!" his hand motioning the tea party as he sneered while leaning heavily back against his chair to the point it stood on one leg.

"I thought this would help you remind yourself." One of the occupants of table, an Imperial, sighed. "Well, I didn't ask for a tea party."

They were seated, well, basically around an ornate floating round table. In the middle of nowhere. Technically, somewhere between the Void and Aethurius, on the edge of a light-filled tunnel made of glowing, twinkling motes.

"What are we supposed to do then?! Sit around, talking about the old days!" he scoffed. "That's just **BOOORING!**" the Breton accent slipped in. He immediately cupped his mouth as if he said something wrong. "Oops, don't know where that came from!" He burst into laughter, switching back into Imperial accent but his hands were gripping the table's edge tightly, as if he was in pain. The wood groaned and cracked violently.

_"I beg you," she whispered. She plead._

He stopped laughing immediately and seated straight, the chair's leg slamming hard onto the invisible ground.

_"My slave! Who lives somewhere in the universe!" She raised her hand high to the crying sky, drawing an invisible circle._

Slave? Slave! He grinned. What a joke! He thought jovially and cocked his head at this. Now this was different than any summoning or prayers.

Martin blinked and frowned very deeply when he heard a girl's voice. His blue eyes disappeared, replaced by the golden fiery ones of a dragon.

"No!" he cried to Martin, knowing he was going to close whatever connection. "Don't cut it off. I want to hear more!" He grinned as he listened. "And this ain't Nirn, anyway," he added then placed his arm onto the table, resting his cheek against his palm.

_"Oh sacred, beautiful, and strong familiar spirit!" she began drawing the star._

"Mortals are so stupid, doing a summoning during the storm," he murmured as he cocked his head against his hand. "Don't they know storms are _my_ day?"

Martin had a very bad feeling about this. He knew where it was coming from and all he could think off are shadows… not just ordinary shadows, shadows of Tamriel. Shadows that Mundus cast. Alternate worlds that the Time Dragon keep from overlapping each other.

_"I desire and here I plead from my heart!" And from the very heart she poured down into this. Three points of the pentagon done._

"She sounds like she needs help on something," he murmured.

"She needs help from a slave," Martin deadpanned then saw that _look_ on his friend's face. "You're not seriously thinking—!"

"Shh!" he snapped at him.

_"Answer to my guidance!" her voice rang loud against the beating of the rain. Her wand swished the last line, completing the pentagon in the circle._

A green glowing oval swirled into view before him.

"Oh this is too good!" he cackled and stood up, glowing brightly purple with a rainbow hue tinting.

Martin got up as well in panic as his friend suddenly jumped into the portal.

"Theodore, _NO!_" he called out and zipped into the portal before it closed in.

A void-like tunnel circled around them in their fall with a light at the end. The Dragon emerged as Martin unraveled into pure weavings of golden light while his friend became a purple shooting star.

"Out of my way, Martin!" Theodore's voice snapped as the dragon flashed past him.

Before the star, the Dragon opened its jaw and closed it down, except the purple star shoot past him, missing its teeth entirely. Then Nirn reined in, stopping Martin's fall. A sense of hopeless washed down the ex-priest. He hung above the light at the bottom and shook his head as the purple shooting star disappeared entirely into the light at the end of the tunnel.

* * *

She sniffled as cold water ran down her face, hiding the desperate tears. This will be different. It will be different. It is different, because she could feel her Willpower draining into her wand.

Another explosion burst from the tip of her wand. A different kind of explosion. It was more like a lightning struck from the sky… except lightning aren't straight and they weren't a beam of light. And when it struck the ground, the explosion burst on cue, knocking her off her feet, roughly landing her onto the muddy ground.

She lay weakly in the mud, all her Willpower almost gone. Shakily and with a heavy heart, she looked but sneezed before coughing violently at the sickly sweet syrupy smell. A purple butterfly flitted at the edge of her sight. _Huh?_ She blinked rapidly at the amount of purple butterflies swarming her vision. Well, at least she had a familiar, even though it was an insect.

She smiled and lay down onto the damp ground. The rain had stopped, so she didn't mind resting for just… a bit. She closed her eyes, not noticing a figure in a gold armor crouching down before her.

* * *

**Why can't someone write PC!CoC!Sheogorath being Louise's familiar, a crack fic definitely. Someone do it! Please! It is a sin for not doing it!**

**EDIT: Seriously, you guys like this awful snippet? It's not even a fully fleshed piece at all. Meh, thank you anyway.**

**Urgh... my writing, *grumbles sourly while rewriting some parts***


	2. The Stranger

**EDIT: Holy shit, my grammar. Oh god. No one has pointed it out.**

* * *

_How can a man be all those legendary figure?_

_He is a remnant from Dragonbreaks, hence time has obscured his tales, his existence or what really happened. The problem is, he became a god and realized this. He started to see the different paths he would've or had taken and what he would have become or had become. He saw different memories that was His but from alternate times._

_But that would mean..._

_Each alternate timeline had different champion that succeeded, but all ended up eaten by the Madgod's madness. __When he became Him, he became them through Him. Hence why he_ is___ all... A mess really, he can't find his own memories without mixing up with others._

* * *

**The Stranger.**

* * *

Louise had a vivid dream. She dreamt she was high above some great city, up in the cloud far above a great white tower in the center. But that wasn't what caught her attention. It was the fight _above_ the city, in the clouds where two figures struggled against each other with only the blue sky as their audience. One was a giant compared to the other. He, Louise presumed, wore an armor unlike any. For one thing, it was made of yellowish gold scale with a helmet that has a face-molded mask as its visor. Its back had sprouted curvy spikes like the ones on a reptile's crown or… remains of what could have been metal wings.

"Pelinal na vasha. Sa yando tye!" a voice boomed, declaring violence as his great sword down pressed down against a thinner blade.

"And I **_WILL_** send your soul to Arkay!" roared the other fighter; enraged voice muffled behind a crusader-like helmet with wings.

The other fighter, he was shorter and small compared to his enemy; _normal_ unlike the giant. His armor was mostly made of tiny fine rings linking and clasping tightly together, making a mail to be exact. Those that weren't, were his helmet, his overlapping pauldrons, and his gauntlets and greaves. Simple and silvery white, with its metal shining dimly like the rare stars in daytime. But it did not make it less holy-like. He wore a white surcoat with gold lining patterned the edge of the cloth. A red large diamond sits on the center of his surcoat. He looked like what a true crusader should look.

From the knick and dents on their armor, the fight had been going on for ages and the end was coming.

Louise then noticed the giant's hand. Its nails were claws and she watched in horror when it swept to tear flesh, but a red diamond shield raise up, glancing the strike off. Only to leave the crusader's front fully vulnerable, and that was when the great gold blade thrust into the red diamond. Red blood ran down from the back of the white surcoat as the giant raised its arm higher, lifting the impaled crusader off the invisible ground.

"As balangua, Ehlnada—!"

The gold giant roared in pain all of a sudden when the star-made blade struck into the eyeholes of the helmet. A coughing, insane-full laugh wheezed out from the impaled crusader as he shoved the blade deeper before pulling it out and stabbing it right up into the neck. It struck right through the head with considerably length of its blood-adorn metal protruded. Flame burst around the giant and the creature screamed.

"May the _Nines_ have mercy on your pathetic soul!" the impaled crusader shout-giggled even as the still-moving giant clasped onto his helmet in crush-like grip.

The giant ripped the helmet off and Louise saw a bronze-skin man whose hair was fully white, grinning gleefully even as blood drooled down from the edge of his lips.

"PELINAL!" the giant screamed as the yellow flames burst into white.

The crusader spat blood at the giant's face. It made no difference, as it was burn away before it could touch the giant. As the heat grew, the gold giant let go of his great blade while screaming at the burning flames swallowing him whole. Louise aghast when the impaled crusader fell, falling through the sky to the white city below.

* * *

Louise woke up with a start and groaned when the blinding headache struck. Her body felt heavy, her bones felt like lead, and she was burning beneath the soft duvet that blanketed her.

"You shouldn't get up too soon, miss," a soft woman's voice called out gently somewhere at the edge of her blurry vision. "You were found in the rain. All muddied up and with a horrible fever too. The stranger was kind enough to bring you in…"

A small noise escaped her but already she felt her conscious descending back deep into her mind.

* * *

Her awareness floated up and down. Sometimes she was hardly conscious enough to be awake, other time she was aware she was hearing someone talking but she couldn't comprehend the words. It's as if she was listening through a thick glass. But one thing constant was that she noticed purple blurring of a butterfly fluttering at the edge of her vision.

A sudden male stranger's voice cut in sharply through the thick glass.

"Would you mind explaining again why she is in such a state? A simple potion should have cleared up this mess."

"She almost depleted all her Willpower and I guess she must have been in the rain more than an hour to cause such a fever."

_Mr. Colbert?_

"Willpower, hmm. Sounds like Magicka. How long does it take for her to regenerate it back?"

"If a mage is a careful one, a few hours or so after a well and careful rest. But in this case, this could take days."

"Really? Well that is certainly different."

She heard no more, but she did end up noticing something. There was a pair of eyes staring at her curiously and the most prominent trait about them is that one was deep green, and the other vibrant orange.

* * *

After two days, Louise was wakeful enough to be aware she was taken care of by a kind maid named Siesta. It was she who looked after her, fed her when she was unconscious, washed her and taken care the state of her looks even. Louise had noticed this when she woke up and found herself being combed gently by the maid. Siesta immediately apologized vigorously when being noticed, her face turning red while doing so until Louise, swallowing her pride, let her continued with a small nod. Even much to her resistant in being fed by another, Siesta was brave enough persist in doing the job for her when she was perfectly fine to eat alone now.

It was during late morning, that Louise remembered the fruit of her effort.

"Siesta," she called out as the maid brushed her hair.

"Yes, miss Louise," Siesta answered politely.

"Was there…" Louise paused. Perhaps she imagined it entirely, summoning a familiar. She was in fever after all but the young Valliere brushed this thought off. "Who brought me back?" That was a safe question, one that would not make a commoner laugh at the prospect that Louise the _Zero_ summoning a familiar and failing again. Siesta wouldn't dare of course. She was but a commoner. But why give the maid a reason.

"Mr. Aegis, miss," Siesta answered and began braiding her hair. "He's very…" her fingers paused as she hesitated, "eccentric," she finished weakly.

"Mr. Aegis?" Louise frowned and turned her head slightly, glancing at the maid behind her. "Who is he?"

"Well." Siesta frowned. "He practically came out of the blue carrying you in his arm. We don't actually know who he actually is but he's very nice and been spending his time a lot at the academy's library."

Was there a familiar or wasn't there? Louise thought quietly. "You mentioned him being… eccentric. What do you mean by that?" She wasn't been able to complete the contract and that worried her.

Siesta laughed very nervously. "He's very contradicting."

_What does that mean?_ Louise thought incredulous at the description.

"At one time, he was obsessed with cheese then the next he hates it with passion," Siesta explained calmly as she recalled. "Sometimes his voice even change. He could be authoritive and charming at one moment then the next, he's angry or wildly cheerful about something. He can be quite chatty too."

And this man most likely holds the answer to her private question. Plus he's a stranger in the school's ground, it meant he won't be here long enough to spread any tales of her second attempt in summoning.

"He also turned mister Gramont into an ass." Siesta giggled.

Louise blinked. "_What?!_"

"Oh don't tell him I told you that," Siesta cried out of all of sudden. "It was so late at night and he made me promise not t-t-to," the maid began to stutter.

"Wait a minute, Siesta. You're saying he _transformed_ Guiche into a donkey?" Louise looked at the maid as Siesta's face turned red. It's impossible! Totally impossible and the commoner knows nothing about magic. Yet Siesta gave her no reason to lie about such thing.

"I'm not one to gossip but mister Gramont," Siesta began slowly, "was dating a first year student. Katie, the first year student," the maid added much to Louise impatient, "found out he was dating miss Montmorency behind her back. And she was so mad and upset that she was crying. She ran into mister Aegis, and then he did something sweet and comforted her until mister Gramont must have said something that made mister Aegis all quiet up and scary," the story spouted out and Siesta realized this with horror but she couldn't stop. She hated holding secrets as it felt like being dishonest.

"Then the lights started to flicker, and the shadows turned darker and longer," the words coming of her in rush as her figure shook, "the shadows started to wail and th-th-they were clawing the walls and floors. And, and, and," Siesta hyperventilated as she shivered violently, "he seemed to grow taller than them and then he, he, he… laughed," Siesta finished lamely.

"Laugh?" Louise frowned. Perhaps the commoner had been hallucinating.

"Everything was suddenly… normal," she said lamely, "until he pulled a weird staff from somewhere before promptly casting a spell with it on mister Gramont. And then he said,

_'A lovely donkey for you, little lady. I'm sure it'll be more loyal to you than that dishonest fop.'_" Siesta did her best in making her voice deep and accented but she was failing quite terribly.

"Miss Katie was shocked at this that she gave a little laugh before promptly fainting," Siesta told her weakly. "The spell didn't last long because after a few hours, mister Gramont turned back and never spoke about the incident ever again," the maid added for some reason.

Louise wasn't sure what to make of this. She was the one who had been in fever, so she should be the one hallucinating and dreaming something like this. Maybe there was something in the water that affected the whole castle.

* * *

"I want to thank him, Siesta," Louise declared to her as the maid buttoned her uniform. What she really wanted was to ask if he saw… her familiar.

"You will find him at the highest school's balcony during this time, miss," the maid answered and swept her shoulder before stepping back, satisfied at her handy work. "There, you're ready to join the school's dinner." She bowed and waited to be dismissed.

"Thank you, Siesta," Louise said while not moving from her spot in front of the mirror.

The maid nodded and left silently.

"Oh Siesta," Louise called out as the maid about to walk out of her room.

"Yes, miss Louise?"

"What did Mr. Colbert said about my expulsion?"

"He says he will discuss with you once you're well," Siesta answered neutrally then left.

Louise sighed. Might as well get it over with. She stood up and walked out of her room into the empty corridor. At least it's almost dinner time and that meant she didn't need to face the students.

"Well, well, if it isn't Louise the Zero?" the alluring voice called from somewhere behind her.

The hackles on the back of her neck raised and immediately a growl rumbled deep in her throat. It was Kirche and her big melons.

"What do you want Zerbst?" Louise snapped without turning around.

"Oh, I just want to ask if you're fine."

_As if!_ The young Valliere frowned and turned around to face the smirking Germanian noble leaning against an ornate wooden door.

"I've never thought a Valliere would be found caught playing in the mud," Kirche said playfully.

Her ears started to burn but she kept her face cool. She couldn't afford to turn red in front of her enemy. "Don't you have some poor sop waiting for you in the room?" Louise pointed with her chin at the door Kirche was leaning.

"Actually I do." Kirche smiled.

_The nerves she has!_ Louise gritted her teeth.

"But I'm pretty sure one day you'll get your own beau," Kirche told her with that… smirk still on her face. "If anyone wants to play in the mud with you," she added before slipping into the room behind her.

Louise's ears were fully red. She felt like kicking the door that Zerbst was leaning but berated herself that's not how a noble should behave. With steaming head, she stomped down to the main hall but stopped. Mr. Aegis, remember. Pausing in the hallway, Louise looked up to the nearest window. She could see the nearby tower's windows illuminated orange by the faint cast of the sunlight. If Siesta is right, he'll be on one of the five towers… Well that was just annoying! A Valliere going around, searching for some stranger! But she was desperate. She needed to know before she faces Mr. Colbert again.

* * *

The youngest Valliere huffed heavily after reaching the highest floor, clutching her stomach in stitches. After going around, asking for the eccentric stranger and getting multiple opinions about him that just doesn't add up together, Louise has finally pinpointed where he was at. This man better be worth it! She huffed one last time before standing up straight and walking towards one of the public balcony.

Pressing down the door's lever, she stepped out into the cold night.

"This is dull," she heard a man's mutter. "I know! I should make it rain exploding cheese!"

_What in Brimir._ Louise blinked in disbelief but shook her head. She turned to her right. Noticing a man in mostly purple, wearing highly detailed tunic-robe and trousers, a shawl as his cloak held in place by a chain decorated with amulets. A mage definitely judging from his clothes. He was _lying_ on the balcony rail, head resting against a supporting arm with one knee up for balance.

"Are you Mr. Aegis?" she asked.

Wrong thing to do. Because when he turned his head back, Louise saw a darkened mismatch eyes glaring at her.

"Now _who _dares disturb the **_fish stick!_**"

He was suddenly up, sitting straight on the rail. Regal and towering with the rail seeming to be his seat of throne. The moonlights behind not helping as they seem to darken his feature into a wraith made of shadow. It made his pair of narrowed eyes glowed angrily. Louise backed away, her hair crackling as her skins begin to crawl with millions of ants. Back hit against the door and she felt the small crawling pace of panic turned into a sprint.

The stranger stood suddenly close before her and she felt awfully small while the eyes' gaze grated her to the bones. "Well, aren't you going to introduce yourself!" the dark being barked harshly.

"Louise V-v-v-Valliere!" she cried out more than announcing.

"Valliere…" the being muttered and paused. "Oh Valliere!" the stranger cried out cheerfully and all of a sudden, a smiling man stood before her. His hair and eyebrows was dark hazel brown. He had a hint of beard growing and from tiny sheen reflected by the moonlights, his skin was tanned and bronze-like but paler than Zerbst's. Mostly it was the mirthful twinkling eyes that struck recognition into Louise. One deep green, one fiery orange… he wasn't actually that towering.

While shocked, the stranger grabbed hold of her and pulled her to his side.

"Come, come! Dinner is being served and we can't let you starve, _shouldn't we?_" his voice darkened dangerously until he burst into light-full laughter. "Let see what your castle can provide as entertainment."

Speechlessly, Louise followed but she couldn't help but realized this. He was the familiar. He was _her_ familiar. She remembered before she fell unconscious in the summoning field, that pair of eyes amongst the purple butterflies. Oh Brimir! And she has to complete the contract with him! He will—Louise frowned, he seems the type to do something horrible things on small thing… judging from the awful sensation and reaction he gave her. Louise cringed under the guide-full firm hold of the stranger.

* * *

Breathe, breathe. Louise hyperventilated. Before the night is over she has to complete the contract! She needed proof that she did summon before the morning came. Louise shivered violently beneath her duvet. Why was she scared? She couldn't help it. Something about the cheerful stranger rubbed her wrong. Every time she was near him, she felt the awful sensation. Like being near something so tall, so impossibly—suffocatingly huge when it was just a normal man standing in front of her!

Sometimes the feeling wasn't obvious but when the stranger got too excited or… emotional, it became so clear that even the students around the area reacted. Everyone acted pretty weird really. Guiche suddenly giggled way too high, Montmonrency was crazily angry, Zerbst was swooning for every boy in the room, Siesta too mousy than normal, as in literally behaving like a mouse, even teachers were affected too. Miss Longueville was suspicious of everything and kept snapping at students, Mister Colbert quiet and watchful and headmaster Osmond more pervy as eve—wait, that was normal.

In fact, he didn't properly introduce himself to her tonight. That slightly miffed the young Valliere but she was too preoccupied in examining her other feelings. Namely… fear and something else she can't explain. Louise sat up on her bed. She didn't even say thank you at all, and that was rude. Undiplomatic actually, she frowned and made her decision. She couldn't sleep anyway and she needed to complete the contract. Louise steeled herself and slipped out of her bed, changed her clothes and put her robes on.

Walking out of her room, Louise pondered. Now where would the stranger be in the middle of the night. A sensible man would be in bed at this time of night but she got a feeling it's a different case when it comes to him.

Louise shuffled along the hallways alone under the dead of night. Somehow her feet led her to the library, probably from her assumption that he would be there. Entering into a room with rows of shelved book, Louise walked in and noticed a soft warm light further down the library. She went toward it, inching near the end and noticed the stranger seated in one of the chairs around the study table, surrounded with carelessly stacked books. Either he was an avid reader or he was making a fort out of it.

Now was her chance, but her feet refused to move. Louise grounded her teeth. Get it together for Brimir's sake!

* * *

In the pitch black of the void, he was floating amongst the endless space and noticed he was not alone.

"Sisters." He drifted to the three floating figures waiting ahead of him.

"Sheogorath," a hard, throbbing voice greeted him. It belonged to Meridia, an obscured Daedric Prince whose origin was said to be one of the fallen star, the Magna Ge. Her blonde hair shone as if the sunlight was woven into it. They seemed to sway with a mind of their like the lush grass in the deep calm sea.

"Well if isn't lovely Meridia, gracing me with your light," he replied and gave a quick kiss on both cheeks, which earned a raised eyebrow from her.

Turning to his left, he smiled cheerfully before the shrouded Nocturnal, hooded and covered provocatively in her runic cloak.

"Lady Nocturnal," he greeted the Night Mistress and drifted toward the Prince.

"Please," she raised her hand to stop him. "I need not your mocking from you," her cold-like voice said flatly.

"I would never mock you!" Sheogorath cried, hurt then grabbed and kissed her hand before turning to the sister between them.

"And merciful Azura," Sheogorath said poetically to the Queen of Dawn and Dusk before pecking a bluish tinged twilight Prince on the nose. Unlike her sister Nocturnal, her cloak mostly covered her provocative body… except they were slightly translucent.

"You're behaving like Sanguine, Sheogorath," a gentle but alien-like voice chided him.

"_I_," Sheogorath pointed himself, "behaving like Sanguine?" he said in disbelief. "No, I think you got it wrong dear sisters. Only a mad being would dare to do what I had just done," he told them then turned serious. "In what way have I earned your gracious presence?" he asked and snapped his finger. The Staff of Sheogorath emerged from out of the void. He clasped the jeweled eyeball at the top, and held the staff like a cane.

"You've caught our attention brother. To turn back on Nirn's enrapturing presence like that," Azura told him. "I have to say, it must be really interesting for you to do that. Has Oblivion bored you also?"

"You don't get that much opportunity to gaze into the alternate world _in_ Mundus shadow," Sheogorath answered, examining his staff before looking up at them. "It is different, but it is dull." He sniffed at this.

"Perhaps our proposition would make it interesting," Nocturnal said.

"Oh, do tell," Sheogorath motioned.

"There is a profane ring," Meridia spoke first, her hard voice turned into disgust. "It raises the dead, controls the living that it treats the life as if it was some shade. I want it destroyed."

"Demanding as always, Meridia," Sheogorath commented lightly. "And what of you, Nocturnal. What is it you desire?"

"There is a thief in this world. All I ask is do not kill her," Nocturnal answered neutrally.

"And you Azura, what is your proposition?" the Madgod asked.

"In due time I'll tell you. I ask is for your patient," the hooded Azura said.

"You three expect that much from _me._" He looked at them, staring at their neutral face. "From _the_ Madgod?"

"We know it is unlikely, but you're always one with guile and slyness, Sheogorath," Meridia clipped.

"Even with your madness you still can plot," Nocturnal remarked.

"If you so have forgotten, shall I remind you of the bet we had?" Azura smirked.

All three began to smile sweetly at him.

"You are bored, Prince of Madness," Azura observed.

"And we can make this world entertaining if you so wish," Meridia said this lightly.

"The world is boring if our meddling hands were not in it," Nocturnal told him. "Besides, this world caught the Madgod's curiosity, so it must be interesting at least to _us_ also."

"You flatter me so much with your offer, but it still has nothing for me in it," Sheogorath replied nonchalantly while he picked his fingers.

"Would you want our artifacts to aid you?" Azura asked.

"Hmm, no." Sheogorath refused. "To herald with them is to make me your champion, and I am no one's champion."

"Perhaps I could send you my champion to aid you in the future," Nocturnal said quietly.

"Yes, perhaps we should," Meridia joined in.

Sheogorath thought about it. "All right then." He grinned. "I'll take it as a favor to return."

The three smiled. "It is agreed then," the Princes said together as the void dreamscape rippled.

* * *

Louise inched closer, so close that she was near his face. She felt like turning around and screaming back to her room for what she was doing.

With her wands out in her shaky hand, she breathed, "Pentagon of the Five Element, bless this humble being and make him my familiar." She tapped the wand slightly on him then pecked him on the lips.

In which point the eyes cracked open.

"What. Are. You. Doing." The dreaded voice spoke.


	3. Beware the Sane one

_He made an offering to Himself. Out of mad humor and out of desperation. And that's when he realized. He stopped sensing and instead felt His existence and his inexistence. For this was how a god felt like all the time, the IS and the IS NOT._

* * *

**Beware the Sane one.**

* * *

What was she doing?! What has she done! Louise stared in realization at the horror of her action. He's a mage! A mage… in her effort to be recognized as a true Valliere, she just destroyed the reputation of her own family! She will cause war between two noble families! And mother, mother would no doubt crush the other family but it would mean blood on her hands. And she didn't want that. She didn't want that.

As the young Valliere seemed to be frozen in shock, Theodore was drumming his fingers on the armrest of his chair, waiting for the statue right by him to reboot itself into reality. He leaned back in his chair and yawned quite loudly before sighing. Now he knows that look the young Valliere was giving. It was the look a sane man… or girl would give after doing the act of insanity itself. She was on the edge of whatever senses and all he needed to do was push her over it, and he will get another crazy mage to add to his realm.

So there goes a nice, unique, powerful mage… that can divide by zero. He knew this since she stinks of the Void. The potential to zero sum tends to make whatever magic she has colorless, smelled like nothing in an environment full of fragrant of other mundane elements.

But that's just dull. Making people mad was one of his usual "sports" back in Tamriel. But here wasn't Tamriel, and that meant he had a whole different set of list to do. Not one bit of its activity is the same as the ones he usually did back in Mundus. He calls this list 'gone away in some alternate world'. Actually, he just made that up.

There was a pinching sensation on the back of his left hand. White-hot runes began to engrave into his skin. It felt like his hand was being written by a burning chicken's claw. It hurts all right. It hurts for Theodore, but the god-like conscious of his just shrugged it off and did the opposite. He examined it and noticed the obedience and compulsion to serve… within the bond.

He quickly plucked those out, leaving just the raw pure connection, the empathetic sense between mage and familiar plus what could be a fortifying spell. He could… turn the contract upside down by simply adding his own twist to it. It will be fun. A predator-like grin cracked across his face as he leaned his cheek against his supporting arm.

"Now, little lady," Theodore said as he grinned at the frozen young girl. "Would you explain what is this?" He waved his rune-engraved hand.

Louise just stared, and stared. "It… worked?" she squeaked these words then shook herself out of reverie.

She suddenly squirmed as she stood there, and that was just adorable. Except a demented part of him was screaming and clawing against the inside of his mind. It didn't find it adorable at all and was quite a grating experience. Things usually go bad, real bad when that part of him reared his head. But at the moment, it's been… interesting, and he didn't want it to be ruin so quickly when there's opportunity for fun.

"Well?" The edge of his voice started to creep up, his right hand started to squeeze into a fist. Nails digging into his palm as he smiled tightly, holding back the violent part of him. It hurt him to do so, it was like ripping his mind into two… when they were already two to begin with. It didn't make sense for him to be in pain, but insanity never made sense.

"I," Louise began, still not believing what she had done. She must be going mad! "I made you…," her voice faltered by she steeled on, "my familiar," her voice hoarse as she said this weakly. The wooden wand clattered on the floor, breaking the tense silent that emanated from Theodore. "I know you are a mage," she breathed these words out. "but—"

"But what?" a harsh tone escaped from him.

She winced and looked up to the tight smiling man.

"Well, miss Valliere. Are you going to explain," he said calmly as he gazed with those eyes of him. One deep green, one fiery orange. Except the green glowed intensely as the orange waned, making it seemed one eye staring back even under the soft glaring light of the lamp.

"I…" the steel in her voice disappearing, leaving just the voice of a desperate young girl. "I needed a familiar." _I can't go back. Not with mother's disappointment waiting at home. _Her shoulder started to shake.

"Why?"

"They were going to send me back home," she told him.

"And what is so horrific about that?" _Doesn't he know? He's a mage. Right? _A mage should know that if she fails this one thing, it will mark her forever as a failure of a mage. The zero. The zero… She is a Valliere. A Valliere can't be zeros!

Anger burned inside of her at the reminder of that horrible nickname. Anger, fear and something else. "because…" she began as her shoulder shook. "Because," _why would he care? He's just another… Zerbst. Another of those laughing stupid fops_._ Always mocking._ Shaking in anger now, she fully glared at him. "Because that will mark me as FAILURE! YOU INSENSITIVE PRICK!" she shouted this at him then kicked him at the shin, before spinning around and running back to her room with angry tears threatening to well up.

Theodore just stared at what happened. He blinked and blinked at the empty space where the girl should have been.

"Well that was…," he paused, "surprising," he finished and blinked again. He sat there, alone in the library then noticed the abandoned wand on the floor. Moving to pick it up, he winced at the bruise on his shin. "Ow." Not a bad kick. For a girl.

* * *

Louise woke up and sat up straight on her bed. Today was the last day. The second summoning didn't help at all. And she was still a failure of a mage. She stared crossly down on her hands. They tightened into a fist before her glare. With a violent throw, she swept the blanket off her and went straight to changing into her clothes.

It was the day of the void, and what a day too. Students are free from class and lecture, enjoying their time, doing recreational activities with friends and bonding with their familiars. And her? She was not going to experience any one of those today. She used to have friends but after explosions, after explosions, they started to dwindle away, not wanting to be caught in the blast. It was too dangerous to be her friend. Too dangerous to even sit beside her in class. And when the teasing started, none wanted to hang out with Louise the _Zero_.

Louise sighed but stopped her fingers when they went to grab her mage's robe. Since she won't longer be a student… a mage, she had no right to wear those robe. Her face immediately scowled at that thought. To hell with them. She swept the robe around her shoulder and pinned her gold broche on. Like a noble on her way to execution, Louise walked out of her room, shutting the door behind her one last time—the last routine she will ever repeat, and made her way to Headmaster Osmond office.

Knocking on the wooden ornate door, she waited and was greeted by the sight of Miss Longueville. The secretary silently stepped aside and let her in before slipping out of the room. Louise walked up only to see Mr. Colbert waiting beside the seated Headmaster Osmond. She also noticed Mr. Aegis was seated in the chair in front of the Headmaster's desk. They all looked up at her when she took a stand before the desk.

"Ah Miss Valliere," Old Osmond spoke. "It has come under our notice that you broke the school rules, especially when it comes to summoning. What you have done was an act of defiance against what we've said and against the Holy Ritual of Summoning."

She looked down to her feet, examining her polished shoes. It must be Siesta who cleaned them.

"Once a summoning spell has been performed, fail or success, a mage must not repeat the summoning ritual unless his or her previous familiar has died," Osmond explained. "Do you have anything to say at this?"

This was the holy summoning ritual. Of course, she couldn't say anything against it. But, she glanced at Mr. Aegis was seating beside her and was looking bored. A brown leather glove covered his left hand, hiding the runes that were engraved from last night. _He didn't tell them. _Louise didn't know whether or not to be happy that the noble didn't decide to prosecute. Frankly, she didn't care. She felt too numb to care anymore.

Osmond exhaled aloud at her silence. "There will be no punishment for what you have done," He told her. "Your expulsion will be due to your first failure on the ritual and nothing to do with your blatant act against the school rules. Your family doesn't need to know your recent action. Besides," the old man told her gently, "You were technically expulsed three days ago. Any recent rule-breaking activity won't be taken account."

"Thank you, Headmaster for your consideration," she replied back numbly and bowed her head slightly at the old man.

"Your carriage home awaits you," the old man said.

"I'll be going then," she said and turned around.

"Actually, she doesn't have to."

Her feet stopped in her track when the stranger spoke.

"What do you mean by this, Mr. Aegis?" Mr. Colbert quizzical voice spoke up.

She turned back around slowly, her heart skipping a beat in her ear.

"You see, Louise and I made a contract last night," Mr. Aegis said quite blandly.

"A contract?"

"Hmm, what do they call it?" the stranger pondered loudly. "A Servant contract but I change it a bit and made it more like associates contract. Partners, I meant."

"Sir, you cannot be a familiar unless—" Colbert was interrupted again.

"Unless she summoned me?" Louise stared at the stranger numbly who was openly grinning. "Where do you think I came from, Mr. Colbert? All those scrounging, trying find out where in the world I came from and you couldn't make heads or tail that it was Miss Louise here. The answer was all in front of you," the stranger chuckled at the surprised balding professor.

"Oh, here's a proof of the contract." He tugged his leather glove off and showed the runes. They flashed vibrantly red before they faded back into scars. "Of course, there should be a mark on Louise," he added thoughtfully and her back stiffened at this. "You know, to tell us we're associates. Perhaps a huge tattoo on her fa—"

"You wouldn't!" she screeched at the prospect.

The stranger turned around, in mocked surprise he cried, "Oh Miss Valliere!" he said in a patronizing shocked voice, "I thought you were leaving! You were all grim and brave all about it too! This, this," he fumbled but she knew he was just acting, "this ruin the tale. It supposed to be like this, 'and the young noble girl left the school," he said in a somber storyteller voice, "with her head held high even with her spirit inside withe—"

"Mr. Aegis," Osmond interrupted with a clearing of his throat. "As you were originally saying, Miss Valliere here made a contract with you last night."

"Yes," the stranger answered dully.

"Would you kindly let us see those runes," Osmond asked with Colbert walking up to his side for the examine.

"For a moment there, I thought you were going to say: 'let me see your face'," the stranger snickered at this for some obscure reason but he stood up and showed his engraved hand at them.

"It's genuine," she heard Mr. Colbert declared. "But… not the usual runes. There's also something _different_ about it."

"That would be the change I've done," the stranger clipped cryptically.

"Perhaps," Mr. Colbert said, not convinced. "But then, you're not the usual familiar."

"Oh? Why is that?" The stranger smiled at Mr. Colbert's tone.

"You see, the usual familiars are beast and magical creatures."

"I'm magical!" Mr. Aegis grinned as he pointed himself.

Louise fumed at the stranger's behavior. She was getting impatient. What does this mean for her?!

"You are no beast or a creature, Mr. Aegis. You're a human—" the stranger grinned brighter at this for some hidden humor. "—and human are not the usual likes to be seen as familiars," Mr. Colbert explained.

Louise, not handling anymore, burst, "Mr. Colbert what does this mean for me?" she asked, desperate and hopeful.

The Professor frowned a bit. "Since you _have_ summoned a familiar, it means," he glanced at the Headmaster. The old man nodded in return. "You can stay in school," he finished.

Her heart swelled up.

"But."

She froze.

"You made a contract with a noble, Miss Valliere," Mr. Colbert said grimly.

"Actually, I'm not a noble," Mr. Aegis spoke up.

_What?!_ Louise spun around and stared at the stranger. "B-b-but your clothes! And the servant said—"

"You should never judge by looks," Mr. Aegis sing-songed playfully.

"In all due respect. I've seen you cast spells and that means you're a noble," Mr. Colbert told him.

"What spell?" Mr. Aegis looked cheerfully at but his grin was more like a shark's fang.

"The one you cast on Miss Louise during her fever. That spell!" Mr. Colbert said insistently, but he was not going to mention his ignorance on what kind of spell it was.

"Oh that spell!" the stranger said in realization. "One spell and I'm noble already! Wow, you people have low expectation on nobles. If I produce a sweetroll in front of me would that make me king?!" He grinned manically.

"Would that make you wha—" Mr. Colbert stopped himself and inhaled deeply. "The point is Miss Valliere made contract with a noble, with you. It's kind of you not to prosecute but this is serious matter. Your rights have been violated." Mr. Colbert exhaled heavily. This man is not behaving like the usual norms!

"Hmm," the stranger hummed in his ponder. "Nope," he said simply.

Louise let out her breath that she didn't know she was holding.

Suddenly the stranger stood up, putting his arm around Louise and grabbed her shoulder much to her surprise. "Since the girl not in trouble at all and the situation has resolved, are we dismissed?" He grinned at them as Louise stared at the hand on her left shoulder.

Headmaster Osmond thought about it then smiled, "why not, then?" he said to no one in particular. "You're dismissed but we still need to know who you are. I can't let one of my students safety depend on a stranger's hand."

"Have I not shown only courtesy and trust, hm?" Mr. Aegis said then looked down on her. "Besides, wasn't I the one who found her and ask help for the state she was in," he said and stared at them. "Shouldn't that be good enough?"

"We trust you," Old Osmond nodded to humor the stranger. "But you never really shown us formal courtesy. You still had yet to introduce yourself properly and tell who you are," Osmond said.

"How rude of me to do that!" the stranger declared. "I shall rectify that mistake." He grinned. "As you know I am Theodore Aegis, just a fellow traveler finding out about the world and its knowledge. Charmed!" he bowed slightly at them. "And now that this mess is cleared up, I need to check on my horse else she would eat chickens around here. Your students might be mistaken as one when it comes to her," he told them straightly before promptly leaving them and Louise's side.

There was a brief silence between them.

"He's certainly… not your usual," Mr. Colbert finally said.

"I was about to say he's an odd one and pretty... loud," Osmond added then noticed Louise. "Well, Miss Valliere, you're still our student. And today is the Void Day. You should enjoy this day then. As for the carriage, well the driver can certainly deliver a letter if it could deliver you."

Louise ignored that last part and simply bowed slightly. "Thank you, Headmaster," Louise said in a calm noble voice but inside she was jumping for joy.

"And Miss Valliere."

She looked up.

"Is the contract the only reason why you were up last night, kissing your rescuer?" Osmond's eyes twinkled.

Louise's face turned furiously red as Mr. Colbert cough and cleared his throat roughly in the background. She heard rumors the Headmaster was a pervert, but this! THIS! She wanted to shout furiously. This takes the cake.

"Yes, it is the only reason!" she declared. "I wanted to finish the contract," she added curtly, holding the urge to shout this at the pervert old man, just so she can wipe off the dirty image the Headmaster was probably thinking.

Without waiting to be dismissed, she turned around and walked out. She really wanted to get away from the old man's dirty notions!

* * *

There was ruckus when she reached the lush green fields outside the academy's wall.

"**Shadowmere!**" A voice roared.

Siesta stopped in her track at the ferocity of the shout.

"You come back here at once and let go of that chicken in your mouth!"

A protesting neigh was the reply. There was a sound of screeching clucks of a chicken coming from somewhere to her left. Sieasta turned to the sound and noticed a big, slim-built, black as night horse skittishly dodging its owner. There was something white in the black horse's mouth, and that thing was flapping its wings in protest at the black mouth that its head was in.

Oh my. That was the chicken the cook was going to prepare for one of the staffs. But never mind that, that horse is a carnivore! Siesta stared in horror when she heard the chicken squawked only to be cut off by the awful sound of bone crunching. She saw the blood run from the horse's mouth as it chewed and crunched the chicken's head. The maid couldn't help but started to laugh weakly at the scene before her.

"You're just disobeying me just because I gave your colt to Mephala, aren't you!" the stranger berated then sighed. "Look, love. Isn't this place makes you comfortable. You're in your elements here, in the _shadows_," and then he added something odd, "of_ Mundus!_ I know I disturbed you in your wild joy freedom of owning Mania's grasslands and oppressing Dementia's demons, but don't you love adventures?"

The horse didn't think so since it continued chewing on the chicken, eating it whole while giving the flat stare that says, _'oh, carrying your stuff is something for me to love about on these "adventures"!'_ How Siesta discerned what the horse was saying from just a stare, she didn't know. Perhaps it was a growing sign of madness. Yeah. Madness. Madness…

In her daze, the horse finished its very _fresh_, raw chicken and snort softly. A single white feather came out of its mouth and then like a normal horse, it bent down and began chewing the grass around it. At that moment, she noticed that the horse's eyes were red. It was a truly demonic horse then. She started to laugh at this more loudly but stopped when she was quickly noticed.

"Siesta!" the stranger cried when he turned around.

Oh Brimir, she didn't want to be caught with him. The last time she did, weird things happen. Like talking fruits, which the stranger named one as Stanley. Why was she here again? Why on earth did she wanted to come by here? Actually, what led her here in the first place? Without a moment, the stranger was before her much to her chagrin.

"What are you doing here, Siesta?" the stranger asked, tilting his head curiously like a cat wondering why there was this odd mouse coming to him willingly.

Why was she here? "Uh," Siesta fumbled. Talking fruits? Her brain thought up weakly. _Think of something, anything!_ Her mind wondered as her eyes gazed off, back to the horse. The stranger noticed this and offhandedly said, "Don't mind Mere, she's not the biting type."

_The horse bites. What kind of horse bites?_ She thought numbly without realizing she said it aloud.

"Why one such like Mere!" the stranger said with a cheerful grin.

"But you said she's not the biting type!" Siesta protested.

"I did?" the stranger puzzled.

"Yes! Just now!" she pointed it out and widened her eyes in horror as the horse came over from behind the stranger. She stepped back, realizing how tall the horse was now that it was standing by its owner from behind. Its head was three inch taller than the stranger whose height was imposing enough already.

It suddenly clamped its teeth around its owner's shoulder, and the stranger howled.

"**_MERE!_**" Mr. Aegis raged that Siesta stepped back even more when the air crackled and rise in temperature. The horse though quickly took off into the distant, avoiding its owner's wrath.

"I swear you've been developing bad habits in Dementia!" he yelled after the horse. "I'll get you for that!" he snarled and ran after the horse that was neighing almost mockingly. "You won't get your brush for a week! Or your oats or your sugar lumps! Or _SWEETROLLS!_"

Shadowmere didn't care. She kept running freely across the field. She prefers the flowers of Mania. They were sweeter than any treats her owner could give her. But the brush… he's the only one who dares to brush her. Or maybe he's the only one mad enough to even try to ride her.

"_Don't make me use the paralysis spell, Mere._" His dark voice hissed into her ear even though he was far away.

She immediately cantered to a stop and turned around, dispelled. Her frisking ended just like that. Even she knew not to mess with his patient. Having been his lifelong companion when it comes to adventuring, she had seen what his enemies ended up as when he got angry. She definitely did not want to be in the other end of his wrath.

She trotted to her owner, stopping in front of him before stomping her front hooves restlessly at his feet.

"You want a ride, don't you?" he said softly when he clutched her face and stroked her muzzle. "You miss adventuring?" There was wistfulness in his voice. "Is that why you're restless?"

She snorted in answer and bumped her muzzle against his hand.

"We'll go for a ride then," he declared. "Let see what this world can offer," he said and immediately climbed on her bare back. He knew she doesn't let anyone ride on her bare back, yet he had to climb on her bare back.

Immediately her hind bucked upward, sending him flying through the air, forward-flipping before he slammed onto the ground on his back. Shadowmere immediately cantered off into the distant, ignoring the sound of groaning from her owner.

"Mr. Aegis!" the servant, having been watching from the background, cried out in worry and hurried to him. "Are you all right?" she called out to the dazed man on the ground.

"Daisy, daisy," he murmured unfocusedly as he lay spread eagle on the grass. "Give me your answer, do."

"Mr. Aegis?" Siesta asked worriedly.

"I'm half-crazy," he sang on dazedly, "all for the love of you."

"Mr. Aegis?" Siesta asked again, her cheeks reddening while being quite embarrassed now.

"I forgot the saddle," he murmured in reply. "She hates it without her saddle. Can't stand me without it," he continued nonsensically. "Shadowmere," he moaned, "I'm sorry," the words came out in such a whining manner that was so unlike him. Like a child trying to apology to his pet after accidentally hitting it with something.

Now Siesta remembered why she was here, "Miss Louise asked me to tell you to meet her outside the main castle's entrance," she told him as she stood bend over him.

"The gate?" Mr. Aegis asked quizzically.

"No, not the entrance into the castle's _compound_, the entrance that leads to the castle's main hall," Siesta corrected him.

"That's so far," he muttered this then he rolled onto his belly and stood up, tall before Siesta. "Wonder what the little lady wants," he murmured curiously. "_MERE!_" he suddenly shouted and whistled to his black horse frolicking in the distant. "You're getting your saddle on now!"

Siesta took that moment to turn around and walk back to the castle, leaving him out there in the field. It was at that moment; Theodore had stuck his hand into the void, into his realm to get the saddle. Something burning hot clamped onto his wrist and pierce. The Imperial hissed in pain at that moment and tugged his hand back sharply. Only it kept hold of him. Whatever it was, it had teeth… dragon's teeth.

"Martin," Theodore hissed. "Shadows do not fall under the Covention."

_'Shadows are as much part of a being. They follow us from the beginning of our birth. The gods created these shadows when Nirn was created. Therefore, Nirn's shadows—alternate worlds is as much part Nirn. It _is_ still Nirn.'_ His friend's voice echoed into his mind. _'The barriers against Oblivions and its likes _will_ hold here.'_

"I will not invade this world nor flip it into madness," Theodore grumbled.

_'Swear to it.'_

"I, Sheogorath, swear," Theo sighed.

_'No, Princes are fickle. You can twist the truth in words.'_

"If what you say is right, I am but an avatar," he told the Time Dragon wearily. "And I already figured that out." He snorted. "You would think a mere mortal be able to summon _the_ madgod himself. No," he shook his head. "An avatar is what the greatest few can only summon. Anymore than that, well, that makes them not mortal in the beginning," he snickered. "Other Princes can't stand being an avatar. Too much baggage they say. Can't handle the mortality, they say." He rolled his eyes at thinking the Princes antics. "Well, at least I know what to do to prank them." He grinned at the prospect of keeping them themselves lock out of their realms and in Nirn.

_'Theo,'_ Martin grumbled in disapprove at his thought. _'That will count as invasion.'_

"Spoilsport," Theodore muttered as he felt the dragon's teeth unclench its hold on his wrist.

The mad Prince stuffed his arm deeper into the void, grabbing blindly onto a leather edge. He pulled the saddle out before dropping it on the ground by his feet. Rubbing his wrist sorely, he examined it. The dragon's teeth mark was still hissing steam.

He looked up and frowned crossly. He took a deep breath and shouted, "**_MEEERE!_**" voice ringing across the field. "Get your ass back here!" he shouted at the black horse neighing in the distant.

* * *

**I don't think I got Headmaster Osmond right. ****And fucking dialogues!**

**EDIT: I want to stab myself repeatedly for the mistakes I've found.**


	4. Puss in Boots

**After so much rewriting, I'm still not happy with this chapter. It's unoriginal… And it wasn't supposed to come out this way. I hated it. If you are Cpl. Facehugger. Shoot me. I didn't realize the similarity. Fuck it, I want to rip this to shred! Hate it... so much.**

* * *

_The Champion is the crushing depression. __The Crusader is the berserking rage. _The Madgod is the manic joy.

_The Prince of Madness is all._

* * *

**Puss in Boots.**

* * *

The day was bright and cheerful in the morning, the sky blue with a brush of white cloud streaking across it. Chatters of students could be heard in the background as Louise waited on the steps leading to the castle's main hall.

Louise was pondering on her actions. It was sacrilegious to deny a familiar a completion of rite. But whether failing and succeeding the ritual was a different matter. Never had she heard a situation like hers, to fail once but second time not, and not a conventional familiar either.

"I'm quite surprised you're still here, _Zero_." Sounds of snickering followed after the mention of her nickname.

Her tip of her ears burnt red when she looked up sharply at a girl with freckled face and curly blonde hair.

"Montmonrency the Flood," Louise clipped and glared back. "I'm quite surprised you're willing to show your face in public."

"The fragrance, Louise. Get my name right," the blonde told her calmly as if she was the idiot here.

"Really?" Louise challenged, she was not going to be beaten easily. "The 'Flood' suits you better since you used to wet your bed like a flood." Giggled spread from the girls behind the blonde noble.

Louise smirked when the blonde face twisted into anger.

"As expected of your manner, _Zero!_" Montmonrency snapped.

Louise fumed and opened her mouth but stopped when she heard the sound of hooves stomping.

"Mon-mon, my dear," she could hear Guiche voice suddenly turned shaky. "Is best you stop right now."

"What do you mean, Guiche? And why are you suddenly going pale?"

Louise looked up quickly and squinted her eyes when a sudden tall shadow fell on her. It came from looming figure, seated on the darkest, blackest horse that Louise has ever seen.

"Little lady!" the cheerful voice called from the dark looming figure. "You ask for me to come here?"

She stared at the horse. So dark, so dark as the midnight sky, literally. Its eyes were red, fiery red.

"F-f-familiar," she stuttered, forgetting that he was a mage, a noble, someone who makes her nerves crawl. She stared at the glaring red-eyes horse. "What kind of horse is that!"

"Oh, you mean Mere?" her familiar flashed a shark-fanged grin. He patted the horse's flank, stroking the black mane. "One of the fastest horse you'll ever see in your lifetime. She can even climb mountain too, far better than a mountain goat," he said dotingly as he patted the horse, who snorted as his adoration.

"Familiar. Louise, you would go that low?" Montmonrency looked at her accusingly; "to hire an actor as her familiar!" She suddenly burst into laughter.

"Mon-mon!" Guiche hissed, "you shouldn't have said—" he gulped all of a sudden when realizing the man was standing right in front of them.

"My dear," Louise heard Mr. Aegis began. "Who are you?" he asked kindly.

The blonde girl straightened up. "Montmonrency the Frangrance," she declared nobly.

"And you happen to be with this young man." Mr. Aegis smiled kindly and pointed at Guiche.

"Yes," the girl answered and frowned. "Why do you ask?"

Guiche paled and shook his head violently behind Montmonrency as if saying 'don't tell her!'

"Because that young man of yours is a two-faced cheating ass," Mr. Aegis said, his kind tone not changing at all. "And you my dear are bit blind on this habit of his," he told her as he inclined his head at Guiche.

"How dare you accuse him of such thing!" The girl glared. "That's not true, isn't it, Guiche?!" she spun around and noticed him gazing away. "Guiche?"

"Best you not lie, young man," Mr. Aegis said somberly. "Else I shall add _snake_-tongued in the list, right beside donkey," he added ominously.

The peacock of amongst the noble, Guiche was literally shaking at this while his fingers fidgeted at his side. He took a deep breath and like a man, he gazed into Montmonrency's eyes.

"There's this first-year girl—" A slap had crossed his face before he could even finish. Guiche recovered quickly and opened his mouth to say something. He faltered when he saw Montmonrency's back disappeared behind the door into the castle. Giving a quick glance at Mr. Aegis and paling again when the man caught his gaze, Guiche immediately run off to Montmonrency.

Mr. Aegis covered the bottom of his face, hiding the faint smirk when he turned around and faced Louise.

"Well dear," he leaned against the saddle of his horse, "why did you called me here for?" He arched an eyebrow at the strawberry-blonde girl.

"That was cruel," Louise murmured, her thoughts still on Montmonrency's tear-running face. The noble girl may picked on her, but Louise couldn't take satisfaction on Montmonrency's pain.

Louise shook her thoughts on the scene before. She remembered why she called him here in the first place. "Mr. Aegis," she began.

"Theodore," the man interjected. "Or Theo if it's too much for you," he added with a cock of his head.

"Theo," Louise said impatiently. Mother usually called her subjects by their surname at least. It's a bit odd to call one other than their surname, but then… they're going to be associates. It wouldn't be wrong but it would still be odd. Still she needed to know who she was exactly associating the Valliere name with. "You haven't clearly state your noble rank," Louise said.

The man remained quiet, still waiting for the rest.

Louise sighed. Didn't he get it? "I would like to know your rank, please." She waited for his respond.

Theo made a pondering face before answering simply with, "_Princeps_." And smiled pleasingly for some reason.

"Princeps," Louise repeated and frowned at the joke. "That means 'first amongst equals or the first in chief' Mr. Aegis."

"Yes, I do know that, my dear." He smiled pretentiously at her and she began to fume.

"That's an ancient title Romalian Emperors used back then before papacy," Louise told him, grumbling impatiently. "Proper noble titles are Viscount, Baron, or even Duke. Which one are you?" Louise asked again.

"Where I came from, my title has no equivalent to the ranks here, m'dear," Theo replied nonchalantly.

Louise slumped when she heard this. "So you're just a foreign lowly noble."

He said nothing, only his eyes were twinkling as he smiled, amused for some reason.

"Where are you from, again?" Louise asked with a sigh.

He was going to be an associate with a Valliere, maybe an ally to the family if Louise had to introduce him to mother. He clearly can't be her familiar as he was a noble. But he's a Germanian noble, Louise thought when realizing his tan skin might put him at odd with her family. And the name Valliere is both respected here and in Germania, especially in Germania since the Valliere had earned a special rivalry with the Von Zerbst.

"Let's just say far away and leave it as that," Theo answered simply. "Now, this better not be the only reason you ask for me to be here, _isn't it?_" He narrowed his pair of mismatch eyes on her.

There it was again, that abrupt change of tone. Louise stomped repeatedly at the sudden urge of dread climbing up inside her.

"No!" she declared fiercely, more against her dread than at Theo's question. "Since you're going to be associate with a Valliere," she began and the more she thought about her sudden idea, however complicated the situation was; she might make this work.

A familiar usually is used to retrieve items for their master. Do common task expected from them. But she couldn't ask that from a noble. A familiar second task and equally important was to protect its master with their very existence. Again, she couldn't ask for this since it involved with existence of a noble's life. But she still can work on the latter.

She thought about it more. Bodyguards do the same thing when it comes to protecting, except for money. Guards are the same too. A knight? But this was a contract, so it'll be different. And only royalty can ordain such title. A champion, then. Anyone can have a champion. A noble lady in the past usually have one.

_'Vallieres needs no champions to defend themselves.'_

Louise winced at her mother's voice. It's all she has to solve this complicated situation she got herself in.

"You'll be herald as my champion," she told him and waited for the sound of gratefulness. "As a Valliere's champion, you must be at least equipped with a token." Highest quality of course. A sword. He doesn't need to wave it around but at least show he's heavily, richly… endorsed by a Valliere.

He was a lowly, foreign noble in Tristain. He will be grateful by the sudden endorsement from a high Tristain noble.

But Louise heard instead a mutter of: "Oh dear." She frowned and glared when she noticed amusement on Theo's face.

"One step in, I'm a noble and already someone's champion." Mr. Aegis chuckled. "And will you be saying, 'o champion! My champion!' whenever you call me," he mocked in an overly high-pitched voice then looked at her drily.

Her face turned beet red.

"Please don't," Mr. Aegis told her simply, serious, "call me Theodore. As for this token, what exactly are we talking about?" His strange mismatching eyes watched her curiously.

"I would at least want you to have the finest sword to show you are a Valliere's associate," Louise stated, miffed.

Again she heard him chuckled. _Patient! You are a noble, are you not! A Valliere._ Her mother's voice cut in and Louise took a hasty mental step back from exploding in anger.

"No need," she heard him reply and noticed him smiling as always. "I have one that I don't think any finest sword around here can replace," he said, sounding bored.

"Mister Aegis," Louise began and stepped down, closer to him only to realize she's almost two head shorter. She fumed slightly more when she had to arch her chin up just to match his gaze.

"If it's too much for you." She sighed. "I would at least want to go to town and get you something. We're associates." _You're a Valliere's associate._ "My champion," she added and frowned. Now that she said it, it also doesn't sound right. She huffed at the thought.

"We're going to town?" Theo piqued up and blinked. _Wait, that's all he heard. Going to town?_ Louise looked at him, befuddled, outrage, incredulous. She couldn't decide."Why didn't you say so!" he grinned, ignoring the flash of looks on her face.

She'll get him someth— Louise yelped when she was suddenly hauled up onto the demonic horse. "Unhand me, you—!" she shouted.

Theo just climbed up after behind her then spurred Shadowmere immediately.

"Hold on tight!" Theo cried and the darkest, blackest horse in Halkeginia burst into a sprint.

Louise slammed back into Theo's chest at the burst of speed, her eyes widening as the wind rushed and pressed against her skin. _Brimir! This horse is really fast!_ Her mind screamed as the scene around them slipped away. Louise didn't realize she was screaming, nor did she hear an open laughter coming from her "champion" behind her back.

The girl screamed, "Slow down!" her voice ringing across the field they're speeding past.

Every idling students around probably had looked up to the sound of her screaming, only to notice a black streak sped across the path with a flash of strawberry-blonde hair clinging above.

"Make your horse slow down, NOW!" Louise shrieked.

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you with all this wind in my ear!" a man's voice shouted jovially behind her just as they blurred past their watchers and into the gate. "Faster, Meeeeere~!" the man's singing faded off with the sound of beating hooves.

* * *

"There you go, little lady," Theo dropped her to the ground after lifting her off his saddle.

Louise's knee buckled when she stood by herself, feeling the ground wobbling beneath her like the back of a horse sprinting, a really fast horse. How in the world a horse can sprint for _ages _on end, she didn't knew. But that… that… that thing is a DEMON! She thought fumingly as she stumbled in her walk like a clumsy fool, knowing a certain red-eyes horse was whickering in the background, probably at her. No! Louise was curtained it _is_ whickering at her! Laughing in a horse-like way at her back.

And him! She stared dagger at Theo striding ahead nonchalantly, unaffected by the fast ride.

"Coming little lady?" the amused voice called ahead.

She gritted her teeth at the tone of her voice, but she was more frustrated at the gait of her walking. She must look like a fool right now, stumbling here and there because of her… weak knees. It was like learning to horse ride again. Not that she doesn't enjoy horse riding, but learning the lessons of riding wasn't one of her favorite moments in childhood.

"I'm not little!" she retorted. She should have said this in the beginning, nip it in the bud but she was so preoccupied in her thoughts before. And if he didn't say _little lady_, he'll just switch to _my dear_ instead. Louise fumed at the thought, who does he think he is to call her _affectionately_.

She thought they were associates. If he was Wardes… well, she can tolerate. He is her fiancé after all. What would Wardes think if he heard some stranger calling her like that? Yes, it's definitely best to nip it in the bud, she thought adamantly. "And aren't you going to stable your horse?" she called after him, looking back at the black horse now slowly wandering at the clearing beside the beaten path.

"Mere? Stabled?" he scoffed. "She can take care of herself," she heard him answered this with not a care in the world.

"Aren't you worried if thieves and vagrants stealing your horse, and your possession in the saddle bags?" she asked, incredulous at his behavior.

"No, I'm not," he replied. "I'm more worried what Mere would do to them. She can be very _mean_ when she wants to, did you know that?" he said in wonder.

"They could kill your horse!" Louise snapped at the noble once reaching his side. How could he? Doesn't he care for his horse's safety? Catteleya would be horrified at this behavior of his.

"Mere can't be killed," he clipped back down on her before striding forward into the gate of the capital city of Tristain, Tristania.

Louise sighed in frustration before following after him, into bright sunny main street of Tristania. Louise shielded her eyes as the sun shone on them, squinting at the palace castle in the distant ahead.

"Not bad," she heard Theo commented. "The streets could be wider though."

"It is wide," she clipped back. "How else would it allow carriages to the palace?"

"Just saying my dear," he replied, amused at her prideful attitude. "Well it's definitely not a great city build in ancient time."

Louise frowned at the comment, "Tristain's noble and royalty build this city after Brimir's time," she told him. If being almost 5000 years wasn't ancient, then what is?

"Don't mind my words, Louise," Theo replied. "I don't see time in the same way. For me, thousands of years could be stuffed in a moment and believe me, that can be true under special circumstance," he murmured the last part in amusement. "Sometime I see it as a great dragon instead. Me and Time are best friends, did you know that?" he added jokingly before walking into the crowds of Tristania.

The words that comes out of his mouth, Louise shook her head before following after him, feeling the weight of her gold pouch heavily sitting in the sling bag she usually carry for books. Louise noticed he tended to wander off her sight, 'ooh'ing and 'aah'ing at the stalls contents on the street side. Now she knew he was a travelling foreign noble, but they weren't here as tourist…

"Mr. Aegis!" Louise called out and grabbed his arm as he watched like a hawk at the oranges on the fruit stand.

"Stanley might like the annoying one," she heard him muttered when she dragged him away. "On second thought, he'll probably prefer getting chopped into pieces than being a talking fruit," he added under his breath.

Louise looked up to stare at him, wondering if he was sane to begin with. Then noticed his eyes were purple and grey. Wait, weren't those orange and green before? She blinked, and they were back to vibrant orange and deep green… as they should be.

"Dear, what in the world are you looking at me like that?" Theo asked, sounding irritated.

Louise snatched her hand away from him, as if he'd burnt her. She was looking away, cheeks slightly pink as she stared at the passing stalls but wasn't focusing on them. She must have stared like a fool. Louise fumbled when she groped for an excuse, "I… uh…" She looked around, ignoring commoners and colorful nobles walking past by them and noticed a narrow street around the corner. _The Blacksmith!_ Louise remembered. "There's a shop I want to show you," she said this quickly.

"Do we have to go now?" Theo mused as he eyed the streets of Tristania, "Haven't seen this much color in a market for a long time," he murmured wistfully.

"Yes, we have to go now and we can always come back later," Louise snapped, aware it was already afternoon.

"No, we're going to check things now!" Theo grinned when he noticed something catch his eyes and moved towards it. Louise immediately latched onto his arm, to drag his attention back only to be surprised when she was pulled along.

And so it went for hours, Theo dragging her all across and back the city, then left, then right, and they even pit stop in front of the palace while eating snacks at the view, not like Louise minded. Actually, she enjoyed the experience as she got to buy stuff for herself. It was nice, but do they have to do this now? She thought at the time.

"The foods not bad, tasted better, but still not bad," she heard Theo commented while Louise grumbled at her sore legs, having to walk around for ages. At the Academy, she at least get to sit in class before trooping to the other side of the Academy or up the stairs to get to her next lessons. Others had Levitation of course, but she had to take… the commoner's route.

"Now, Louise. What was that shop you wanted to show?" she heard him asked after finishing the sweet cakes they bought… with 'Septims' or 'Drakes'.

Another thing that was odd to add in her list about Theo. She never heard of Septims but they were clearly pure gold from their weight and size like Ecu. Gold is still gold though, but it took convincing on the shopkeeper. The baker believed the foreign gold weren't pure like Ecu, and she even voiced that opinion to a noble! And a cake doesn't cost a gold! At least a denier or two! The situation only subsided when Theo did his 'charm' and convinced the lady _and_ Louise not to fret. Besides, the baker was getting overpaid, she should be happy at least. Louise had added silver-tongued in her list and _imposing_ voice after that.

"Louise?" Theo inquired and snapped his fingers in front of her eyes, jumping her back to the present.

The sky was blushing orange around the horizon. The blacksmith might be closing soon. They could hurry. In fact she hasn't got anything for Theo the whole day. Actually, he's the one that bought stuff for her… well good food.

"Follow me." She motioned with her hand before quickly hopping off the fountain's bench.

They went down the paths of narrow street, turning at corners and winded up… somewhere. Louise frowned as she glanced at the deserted narrow paved street. It was gloomy here as they stood between close-packed buildings that blocked the last ray of sun. Their white walls were high and the windows are the second floors. Already lamps were being lit and curtains being drawn when Louise glanced. Uncollected trashes piled at bottom of the walls, staining the pure whiteness of the wall and stinking the street. They were in a the commoner's quarter.

"Louise, do you know where we are going?" Theo asked when they slowed to a stop once again.

She mulled on the bottom of her lips as she tried to recognize landmark. She'd never been this part of the city. In her rush, she had gotten themselves lost.

"No," she finally admitted lamely.

"Don't worry, we'll find the way back eventually." Theo patted her shoulder. Louise sniffed, a foreigner saying this in his first visit. But he probably got himself in this situation often, considering Theo's attention tend to wonder to the next closest _interesting_ thing. And if he can managed, so can she. She nodded just as he pulled his hand off her. "Though, we're going to have to find an inn tonight. Your city gate will probably be closing at this time," he added with a frown. "Let's keep going." He pointed down the street then walked past by her.

Louise followed, letting Theo taking the lead again.

_What would mother think of Theo?_ Louise thought as they wandered. He was certainly… nice. But he was a lowly noble, and he seemed to prefer keeping anything about him out of the conversation. He was really good at it too, getting distracted, being eccentric all of a sudden that was borderline senility, and changing the topic smoothly. She wondered why. Does he have some kind of secret? If so, what is it? What is it that could make any who knew him walk away, if that _is_ the reason why he preferred to keep it to himself. Still would mother be impressed at least… would Catteleya? Louise wondered about her family. Wonder if Theo had a family waiting at his home. Now that she thought of that, she felt guilty all of a sudden. Perhaps she had interrupted him in his journey back home.

"Theo," she called, wanting to ask at least if he had a family.

No answer came back.

She frowned and looked up then noticed in panic she was alone, and hasn't being attention, and somewhere in a far shiftier side of the city. She backtracked immediately only to bump against a warm figure.

"Well what do we have here, a noble," a playful voice came from behind her. Louise stepped away and spun around then noticed three more men walked into her narrowed path.

_Rule of Steel_, she breathed in heavily. "Step aside," she said in an authoritative voice, her heart beating heavily against her ribcage. "You block the path of a Valliere," she added, perhaps that will scare them enough.

"A Valliere," one of them echoed. "I think we hit a pot of gold on that." The three of them grinned.

Louise gulped and immediately moved her hand to her pocket.

"Get her!" one of the bandits snapped, not wanting her to grab her wand.

Louise's hand only closed on the empty spot of where her wand should be. Her wand… she must have dropped it and forgot about on that night. Louise immediately spun around and began to run only to feel large arms wrapped around, pulling her sharply back.

"Let me go!" she shrieked. "Let me go, you foul vagrant!" She struggled violently, kicking the air as the person grabbed her lift her up.

* * *

Theo stopped, feeling like he was missing something. He turned around slowly and noticed the lack of strawberry-blonde hair girl. Young Louise was gone. Such a nice girl too. A bit bossy, but not as much as the other children at the Academy, and dear Divines and Princes, they were many of those. Theo had to stay in the library for the whole time in his stay else the screaming urge to turn everyone into a variety of cheese would have taken hold of him. And he really wanted to and yet there was a tiny part of him that held him back. It was that pesky voice of the past… and it usually has a point and that's why he kept listening to it.

Theo also noticed Louise gets picked on. Zero, they called her. Reminded him of his followers really. Society mostly put the mentally instable or damaged as outcast, and those that were rejected only had him and his love for them. He loved them for the way they are and in all their flaws. He sees what others could not, or so the mortals say.

Still Louise was just a young teenage girl, actually coming to be a lady… even though her body was not showing it. She was a mage too, struggling with spells, from the nicest rumors he heard. Reminded him of himself really when he was young. So many spells exploded at his face, especially those spell he tried to create at the altar. In his reminiscent, he was unaware both of his eyes changed into smoky grey.

Something bit the back of his left hand. He frowned and looked down then roughly pulled the leather off. He was met with angry runes burning red, as if accusing him on something. He hissed when the pain increased and winced when unpleasant memories flashed. Being burnt was not one of Theo's favorite past time and never will.

"Bother," he muttered when he began to follow the pull toward the Little Lady. How she had gotten herself separate, he didn't ponder and merely hurried.

* * *

Louise bit into the arms that held her, earning a curse and sharp slap across her face. So strong was the slap, it threw her head and made her hit against the wall.

"_Bitch!_" she heard the vagrant snarled.

She struggled up to stand, pawing the walls for support as stars danced and swirled in her sight. Someone grabbed her by the hair and pulled it roughly, she yelped and clutched the hands gripping onto her.

"Just knock her out!" a different voice whined in the background.

"I'm trying, but she's fighting back!"

"Is it so hard to handle a noble girl without a wand?"

"Well why don't you do it then!" snapped the one handling her.

"_Why don't you just let her go, instead,_" a dark hollow voice entered.

Louise's hackles raised up as the air began stifling thick and syrupy. Whispers cut in, nonsensical whispers that overlaps with each other. Her skin started to crawl with millions of ants and she noticed the alley they were in was getting… far too dark.

"Who the hell are you?!"

_Theo?_ Louise thought then her eyes widened when a spear made of entirely of white fire slammed into her handler right in the head, pinning to the wall. Louise landed roughly to the ground when the grip lifting by her hair left. A surge of fire crackling, and out of her corner, the spear exploded into blazing heat. Louise force herself flat against the ground when the wave of heat past by above her, almost singeing her brows.

"Shit, he's a noble!" Footsteps sprinted off only to be cut off by curses.

"_Where do you think your going, mortals?_"

She sat up and quickly pulled herself off the filthy ground but stopped at the sight of burnt corpse leaning against the wall right by her leg. The smell of burnt flesh and street trash crept into her sense and she gagged heavily at the combined revulsion. Turning her back onto the smell, her eyes searched in the dark for Theo. There was a sound of awful screaming and bones being crushed. _Holy founder!_ It sounded like something big and heavy was slowly crushing a man. She noticed a pale shadow standing upright at the street ahead.

"Theo!" she called after and hurried before slowing to a stop when she noticed a body on the ground slowly being flatten… by its own weight. _How…_ She looked up and saw a man lifting the leading bandit by neck, she realized it was Theo who was holding the thief. One of his eyes was blood red, the other was indigo blue. _No. no. no…_ She hurried then latched herself onto his arm resting by his side and began pulling.

"Theo, stop!" she cried at the stranger staring emptily at the choking thief. "_Stop it!_" she shouted desperately. _She didn't want this. She didn't want this!_

Theodore's eyes flickered back to orange and green. He snatched his hand back from the thief's throat and stepped away from the wheezing thief on the ground, sucking in the air greedily. The thief stood up immediately after recovering then spat at his face.

Louise then noticed his eyes quickly changed back to red and inky blue. Without a blink, the hand was back on the thief's round neck, but the other hand blurred to the guts. And then she felt something warm spattered against her face. _Oh god_, her eyes widened. _Blood…_ so much blood, she stared at the puddle growing on the ground then looked up accusingly at the _murderer_. The last thing she saw was a white bright teeth from a demented Cheshire grin.

"You're hallucinating, sweetheart," a calm clear voice out of place cut in as her vision darkened while the ground suddenly rose when her body fell.

* * *

**The spells used are:**

**Blazing Spear**

**Weight of the World**


	5. Gods as Ghost and Slave

_Cyrodiil only left bitter marks on him. I cannot put blame on him for denying the Empire because of that._

_What was he like? Before… y'know._

_He was willing to cut a path towards my throne even when Oblivion barred his path… just as Pelinal had done the same for Perrif. And not for the sake of the crown or for me._

_For himself?_

_You could say. It's quite fitting who he will become, or _is_…_

_But he still holds the fate of the Empire in his hand._

_The Scroll had promise him, he is its scribe after all. And the Empire still waits its champion to decide… even if it's dying._

* * *

**Gods as Ghost and Slave.**

* * *

_'She's a brave one. She's definitely not the type to run.'_

_'Theo, she ran straight to the source of fear. I say she's like you.'_

_'I think I overdid the Fear spell.'_

_'You more than overdid. She hallucinated you skipping rope using entrails! It's made even worse when there's a dash of _Oblivion_ magic in it.'_

_'It can't be that bad.'_

_'She's in mental trauma right now.'_

_'Okay, it's that bad… I didn't mean to. She's a nice gal.'_

_'You _did_ blow that thief's head off. Probably what made her mind exaggerated what happened. But, being around you is already unhealthy enough for the mind.'_

_'But the thief is fine, just badly burnt… on the head. What? Don't look at me like that. Yes, I healed him good as new. And gave a nice proper warning.'_

_'Theo, you let a Dremora Lord chase them the whole night.'_

_'It was fun hearing them screaming: Demon! DEMON! OH God DEMON!'_

_'I get the point.'_

_'No, you don't, Martin. Oh look, she's waking up!'_

Louise stirred and mumbled to herself. Her eyes opened in a snap and she stared straight at a smiling man in his early thirties.

"Louise!" the man cheered then noticed something. "What's wrong?" he asked as she stared at him with wide eyes.

"There's a big gold dragon behind your head," she mumbled and pointed over his shoulder at the huge gold eye the size of a horse.

"What dragon?" Theo faked but his eyes quickly glance at his side.

"That dragon!" She pointed insistently.

"There's no dragon, Louise. You're just seeing thing!" Theo said hastily as the huge head of the dragon slowly burn away like paper in fire, leaving gold embers. They swirled behind him, settling into a humanoid figure.

"Don't lie!" she shrieked. She had enough with Theo's attitude. "I can see it!" The figure dimmed down and a man with the same tan as Theo joint in by his side.

"No you don't," the man garbed in priestly grey said by Theo's side.

"I know what I'm seeing!" Louise shot back and sat up straight.

"You really don't," the two of them said together, one _calming_ and the other _imposing_ overlapping each other. The sudden buzzing onslaught in her mind washed away by calmness, and suddenly she felt good now. She was happy that Theo was here, his presence seems to always put her worries at rest.

"Besides, we're inside an inn and dragons can't fit inside, and you're not feeling well," Theo reasoned with her.

"Maybe I am," Louise murmured and sighed heavily, feeling any opposing aggression slipping away like sands in an hourglass. "I'm not feeling well," she muttered at the sudden sleepiness.

"You should rest now, Louise. You had a horrible day yesterday," Theo said with _imposing_ voice. "It's still dark out there so you should sleep."

"Maybe… I should," she mumbled and her eyes slowly closed back to sleep.

* * *

"This place is still Mundus, you do know that?" Martin told him wryly as Theo leaned his forehead against the window's pane. "And it obeys the normal laws of time and space. Like the Princes, us Divines can also wander as avatars, but an intervention needs _certain_ arrangement," his friend continued behind him. "It's not actually the first time the ghost of the gods wandered. Once, the Nerevarine met three of us."

"Must have been quite a surprise for Morrowind's hero, eh?" Theo smirked, his back facing his friend.

"A bit confused, really. Mara left her skirt and blouse for him."

Warm laughter burst from his throat. "Oh, I wished I had paid more attention to that hero." He chuckled turned slightly to look at Martin. The priest was sitting by the table under the sunlight, provided with the suite Theo had got them in. "Nirn still stopped you."

"It wasn't my summoning, and gods can only walk," Martin said and poured hot tea into his cup. "To jump requires a platform entirely made for us to step on; such as the summoning _and_ the runes you have on your hand."

"It's easier to have them," Theo murmured before he seated down by the table and took his tea. "It provides a nice anchor to this world and I like to have feet flat on something stable," he told him. "Else it feels like I'm just drifting by. Though it has the annoying habit to nag, it even bit me." He rolled his eyes.

"Then just destroy it," the ex-priest pointed.

"But I adore it," Theo said and cooed at his left hand where the runes were scratched on his skin. "Besides, I could use it as a puppet string." He looked up and gave Martin a toothy grin.

"That's not nice of you." Martin frowned disapprovingly. "She's just a girl."

"Martin," Theo began with a grim tone. "These mages has the morals of a necromancer. Whether they're good or bad," he shook his head then stirred his tea somberly, "They still don't see it as enslaving," he shook his runes in front of his friend's face, "or maybe some do but don't give a damn," he said then pointed at sleeping girl laying beneath the white blanket. "To them it's the way things work here."

"You sound like your old self right there, old friend," Martin commented then sipped his tea.

"And one thing I find it funny here," Theo continued with a crease between his brows. "Is that this world has 6000 years of recorded history. And there's one appalling fact about it."

"Oh."

"There are no mothships," Theo pointed out. "Have they tried going to the moons like the Altmers and the Imperials."

"Theo…" a disapproving tone cut in.

"It tells you something. No _change_, Martin." The Prince's eyes glinted as he looked up from his tea and stared at his friend. "No _major_ change for them to keep moving _forward_. It makes my toes curl every time I think about it." His shoulder shook as he shuddered and cringed. "6000 years, Martin. What in the Aurbis have they been doing?" he muttered and took a sip on his steaming tea.

The ex-priest frowned, "And what are you going to do about it?" Martin asked and watched his friend carefully.

"I am a Daedric Prince, and we are aligned to Padomay, _change_," Theo clipped.

"And chaos and the IS NOT, if you have so forgotten."

"Course not." Theo sniffed. "I'm just saying we are an aspect of change, especially _I_. They didn't say Sithis-shaped hole and Lorkhan's divine spark for nothing, old friend," he added with an impish twinkle in his eyes. "Even a god once told me I embody the Divine Crusader. _And_ the gods knew," his tone turned serious as his eyes unfocused; "Pelinal was a schizophrenic berserker who embodies Aka's madness."

"Theo, you won't burn this world, won't you?" Martin demanded, knowing that empty look in friend's eyes as he twirled his tea.

"In his madness… whole swaths of lands were devoured in divine rampage to become Void," Theo murmured softly, almost dreamily.

"Theo!" Martin called and gripped his friend's shoulder, shaking him.

"And Alessia would have to pray to the Gods for their succor," Theo continued lucidly. Martin just shook him more violently, "and they would reach down and soothe the Whitestrake until he no longer had the will to kill the earth in _whole_," his tone hush, almost whispering at the last part.

"Theo, you are _no_ Dagon," Martin snapped then noticed his grin. He slapped his friend right in the face, causing a burst of laughter from Theo.

"In my madness, I can _be_," Theo said as he chuckled then pull his friend's hand off his shoulder and sighed. "The first time I _truly_ used the Staff of Sheogorath, it showed me burning my own home," he told him, his gaze still on where Martin's grip was on his shoulder. "Even if I was given my happy ever after, Oblivion still had put a stamp on me," he murmured then looked up. "I cannot guarantee this world's safety from my nature. If I am too tinker—and I really want to tinker," he added. "You can put me at fault when this world goes to hell."

Martin grimaced and said nothing on the matter. It won't help anyway.

"It's rather ironic, isn't it?" Theo said suddenly in light-hearted manner. "About our apotheosis. You went to the stars, to Aethurius. I ended up the opposite. I went to the void and Oblivion. Even the path leading to our apotheosis was different."

"You really do sound like your old self right there," the ex-priest observed. "It's been a long time since I heard you talk like that."

"It won't be long before I start going Sheo again," Theo brushed off that remark and sipped his tea.

"You always have been a cynic," muttered the ex-priest. "You do know the girl has dream about you."

"Not an adolescent crush dream, I hope," Theo amused.

"No, just nightmares of your actions," Martin said, gazing at the far end of the room, where the girl slept on the grand bed. "One being who can slaughter a horde of Daedroth _and_ stall Dagon's invasion when it took nations says something, Theo."

"Does it go along the lines being good with the lute?"

"No," Martin answered flatly.

"Aw," Theo pouted. "I really wanted to be known as the bard whose fingers can make birds weeps."

"You didn't even play the lute. You were an alchemist," Martin continued flatly then wished he had hastily pulled the words back.

"I was a father too." Theo's eyes suddenly turned haunted. "Until Dagon's ilk _burn_ everything… everything," he murmured as he gazed into the distant. The cup cracked in his grip, spilling tea on the table and down onto the floor.

"Don't give me that look, Theo," Martin warned.

"What _look_," Theo said in a bright cheerful _strained_ voice. "I'm not giving any look." He shook his head vigorously. "I moved on. I moved on," he repeated brokenly as his eyes turned manic. "I have my followers as my _children_ now. Look, I'm happy. _So happy that I could_—_!_"

Louise mumbled and stirred. Both stood up and walked over the bed. Louise slowly opened her eyes and was met by the sight of two men: one who was smiling happily, the other looking relieved. _More Germanian?_ Disdain and distrust, she stared at the two.

"You all right, Louise?" the smiling man asked all of a sudden.

She rubbed her eyes and sat up, looking around slowly at the unfamiliar ceiling. "Where am I?" she asked Theo, frowning a bit with a slight crease between her eyebrows.

"Some fancy inn," Theo shrugged, not telling her that he _opened_ the window and placed her into the bed without paying at the reception at all.

Oh… Louise widened her eyes. "You bought a room for yourself, right?!" she demanded.

"…Yes," Theo answered slyly, his eyes twinkling and he couldn't help but grin at the sudden shared thought. It was quite amusing now, seeing the look on Louise's face panicking. Priceless.

"No, he didn't," his companion by his side clipped back.

Louise's eyes twitched. What would mother think if she ever heard any rumors of this. "Not one word of this," she hissed. "Not one word!"_ If mother knew _she spend a night with two Germanian, whose men were known to be brutish and barbaric… Louise shuddered and looked up, hearing the discussion between the two men.

"…put her in scandal!"

"I did not."

"Stop being a child. You're grinning like a fool."

"It's funny! They're so upstuck. I won't be surprised if Sanguine comes by and pulled the same prank except for the whole city. And I have to say something about our trip yesterday," Theo perked up. "Why weren't there any festival yesterday? It was supposed to be a holiday, right," he pointed out quizzically. "Where were the dancers and entertainers!"

Louise stared at him flatly. He made it sound like it was a sin.

"No," the stranger said flatly and shook his head.

"What?" Theo replied innocently.

"Don't you dare cause havoc here." His companion crossed his arms together.

"But they're so _boring!_" Theo whined. "I'm supposed to brighten their lives up. My existence was built on that purpose!" He patted his chest while saying this.

"It's already bright enough and Sanguine was meant to do the latter," the stranger clipped back then glanced at the bright afternoon golden sunlight outside the window. "And Divines, no. I'm not going to let that happen," he added.

"Relax, Martin."

"How can the dead relax," the stranger, Martin, exhaled heavily then turned to look at Louise concernedly. "Are you alright, child?" he asked.

"I'm fine and you've mistaken my age, I'm seventeen," Louise answered grimly as she sat up slowly then frowned. She winced when she felt the sting of some leftover bruise on her face… then she remembered. _Blood_.

She quickly shot a look at Theo and noticed his clothes were the same one as yesterday. No hint of blood or singeing could be seen on him. She quickly examined herself. Again, no sign of the tussle yesterday was marked on her. Maybe… she dreamt it up. She was knocked out after all, but then if Theo was a killer, he would have covered his tracks. Could have cleaned her up and the crime scene with Water Magic. She had read about this kind of stuff in a crime novel. She even heard mother spoke something of this once. Louise shivered slightly and it was nothing to do with the chill settling on her.

"What… happened… yesterday?" she asked the dreaded question and cringed slightly when she remembered the feeling of warm spattered blood running down her face.

"We did some shopping," Theo recalled, listing their activities with his fingers and ignoring the look on her face. "Then we got lost, you got separated from me and was ambushed by a bunch of thieves. I hurried and send the thieves running off, and you were knocked out near the end."

"Were they killed?" her voice sounded so small.

"Heavens no!" Theo cried. "Would have messed up my clothes if I spilled blood," he rolled his eyes. "And it was inappropriate when you were there watching the whole thing."

"But I was knocked out," Louise pointed out.

"Louise."

She looked up and noticed Theo's face. He looked sad, guilty, and suddenly it seemed so silly for this man to be a murderer. Theo was just an eccentric noble. He was too cheerful and bright, with the occasional _harmless_ but extreme mood swing. Though he had a cruel streak, now that she was reminded of Montmonrency, but then the girl was picking on her. _Would have messed up my clothes…_ Louise wasn't so sure all of a sudden.

"I'm… sorry about yesterday," Theo admitted, his eyes despondent when they cast themselves downward. "It was my fault for not watching you. It was also _my_ responsibility," he placed a hand over his heart, "_and_ I made a promise to your headmaster," he added with a grumble. "I should have let you taken the lead in the beginning and gave you this," he muttered, slipping a hand into his pocket and pulling her wand out.

He placed the wand into her hand, all somber then suddenly brightened up. "Tell you what, let's start all over again. With you leading the day, this time." He grinned. "You could show me that shop you wanted me to see."

"But," Louise started. She missed a week of lessons and the school-girl in her screamed at the pile of notes she will need to catch up. "I have lessons," she said weakly.

"It's already afternoon." Theo pointed at the windows. "Half of the lessons of the day are finished."

He _does_ have a point.

"And I've already sent Mere with a letter of what happened to you to the Headmaster," Theo added.

Suddenly Louise couldn't help but imagined Theo's devilish horse knocking on the Headmaster's door… no, she rather thought it would just bash in through the door, ignoring the polite form of knocking before entering.

"I've slept till afternoon?" Louise mumbled.

"You had a hard day yesterday, so it was best you rest," Theo told her gently.

Louise said nothing until she inhaled deeply. "So I imagined it all," she muttered.

"Imagined what?" she heard Theo inquired.

_You killing those thieves in the most horrible way…_ "Uh, nothing," she said and smiled weakly at the eccentric noble. "Just talking to myself."

"Careful," Theo warned with a twinkle in his eyes, "that's a sign of madness right there." He grinned, flashing his white teeth.

* * *

"Where did your friend go?" Louise asked, noticing the lack of a priestly-grey garbed figure.

"Oh, he comes and goes," Theo answered with a shrug. "Can't help it really. He wanders around far too much. Something to do with time being loopy."

She ignored that last part, she needed to or else nothing would make sense about him. "Is he some kind of temple priest?" she asked as they walked into the narrow street leading to the blacksmith she wanted to show.

"Once," Theo replied.

"He's your best friend, isn't he?" Louise observed then felt a sudden envy on Theo. She looked away from him for a moment.

"He is," Theo nodded. "How about you, do you have someone worried about you back at the academy?" he asked, not noticing he was touching a sensitive subject.

"No," Louise answered back quietly. "How did you two met?" she asked, wanting to turn the focus back on him.

"Long story. Let's just say his temple was under attack and I was there to help him clear up the trouble," Theo answered simply then noted the swinging sign above the door. "Tristain's Arm Dealer," he read aloud the words on sword-shaped sign. "Quite out of place," he noted at the shop's location away from the major streets, glancing at the nearby potion shop.

"In here," Louise pointed and quickly grabbed him quickly by his purple cloak, dragging him into the shop, stopping any chance of him wandering away, again. _He's like a cat_, Louise grumbled in her thought.

The sunlight disappeared as a roof slid over their head, replaced by the pale glow from a gaslamp. Smell of tobacco burning drifted into their nose as they walk into the dark room with swords, weapons shelved and displayed almost lazily. Theo frowned at the casualness in displaying, quickly glancing at the counter where an old man sat haunch with a pipe in his mouth. The shopkeeper straightened up in his seat just as Louise approached and ask him for the best of swords. Theo immediately zoned out as the old man's footstep disappeared into the back of the shop and let his eyes wander through the weapons displayed.

He slowly circled around the shop, his bare fingers sometime brushing softly against the cold metal, briefly causing lingers of old enchantment to hum before he moved on. Eyes grate through what he saw, trying to pick up any special weaving of magic enchanted into the metals but found none to his interest. He crinkled his nose as he again moved his bare hand away a weapon that caught his interest. They weren't ebony, or dwemeri, nor glass or daedric, but what had he expect. This wasn't Tamriel.

Theo zoned out of the conversation between Louise and the shopkeeper. He simply continued his browsing. Some, he crinkled his nose in disgust. Others, he tested their weight but shook his head. After slowly treading his way around the room, he heard, "Psst!" from one of the barrel filled with sword.

He turned around slightly.

"Psst! Partner!" hissed a metallic voice.

Now this was interesting, his mismatched eyes brightened when he made his way to the barrel. After pinpointing the source, he picked up an old rusty sword and said cheerfully; "Hello." Theo tilted his head slightly to the side at the rusty sword. He was behaving like a child realizing his toy could talk back.

"Good grip, stranger!" the sword rattled loosely in its scabbard. "And power!" the sword awed in amazement. "So much pow…"

Was it some Daedroth who had caught itself bound to weapon? Because those were the only type of weapons that are actually sentient enough, but even those hardly talk. The Imperial fingered the metal, noting the horrid rusty state it was in but noticed a glaring fact.

"Who weaved your spirit into metal, sword?" he asked grimly at the chattering piece of metal.

"Can't exactly remember my birth, mister," the sword rattled in its scabbard. "But I remember my first master happens to be a she," it answered after a brief ponder.

"Interesting," Theo murmured.

"I think I have to say the same thing about you, stranger," the sword went on in his hand, "it's not every day some Prince comes strolling by…"

Theo began to drum his fingers ominously on its handle, quieting the old sword back to silent.

"Have my brothers and sisters been known to visit your world?" Theo asked, still in his cheerful manner.

"Er, not really," the sword answered, noting the fingers still tapping on its handle feeling more like being trapped in a cat's claw biding its time. "But sometime once or twice they came by throughout the millennia."

"Well, well, well," Sheogorath murmured. "Perhaps I should find their shrines and pay a visit," he muttered, eyes briefly blinking into liquid gold and glacier blue. "You're a very old sword, aren't you Derflinger?" Theodore murmured.

"Did you just read my mind?" Derf asked, sounding quite surprised at its name mentioned.

"Not read, it's just Prince have their way at knowing, but we really don't care most of the times. It's not like you lot last forever unlike us, so why bother," Theodore murmured. "Perhaps I should hang on to you," the Prince muttered, "you seem to know much, perhaps too much," he added the last part with a murmur. "Haskill might even like you," he added cheerfully, imagining his chamberlain with a chatty sword.

Derf was quiet in his grip and for once felt very confused of who was gripping. It felt like they were three people was holding him at the same time; one a very powerful being, the other ancient, and then there was this mortal or avatar, so intertwined with this… oversoul. So which was the Gandalfr? Most likely the avatar, but if it was the… ancient, Derf shuddered in its scabbard. That meant the whole whack of a prophecy of the end of something and all. It could be even worse; it could be the powerful being whose power shifts and change erratically, unpredictably that made Derf's mind spin. That meant something _might_ end. A headache started to throb and the poor sword would have exploded if it kept on focusing, until Theo let a calm spell spilled into the sword.

"Best you don't put your mind on who I am," Theo said gravelly and patted the sword. "It'll make things easier for you when I am to wield you," he told it as he lifted it up from its place in the barrel.

Derf just groaned. Feeling like it had experienced the worst hangover. It even sang some folksong softly in a broken manner. Theo walked over to the counter and slammed the rusty sword over a brilliant-looking one. "I'll take this!" he declared at the shopkeeper with a manic grin. "If you don't mind," he added with an unnerving glare.

"Urgh!" the keeper curled his lips in disgust at the rusty sword as if it was some atrocity. "That thing is a junk and have been scaring away my customers!"

"Hey!" The sword snapped out of its stupor. "Who are you calling junk! I happen to be more than a thousand years old! I'm no junk! I'm legendary!" the sword boomed.

"Hundred gold for it," the keeper declared hotly.

"Fifty!" Theo snapped, his Imperial side taking hold of him more than the lazing Madgod's.

The sword whined something about the price being degrading for a great sword like it.

"Seventy five!" the keeper replied.

"Sixty!" Theo snarled, the air crackled and distorted violently around him.

"Fine!" the shopkeeper grumbled sourly. "Might as well make a couple of gold out of it," he muttered to himself.

Theo moved to take the septims in his pocket but Louise paid faster even much to her grimace on the sword's state. The two burst out from the shop with Louise lagging behind Theo.

"Couldn't you have picked a better sword?" Louise asked, grimacing after him as they made their way back Bourdonne Street, the main street leading to the palace and the gate out.

"This one was interesting," Theo answered, glancing briefly over his shoulder at her. "And besides, I already have better swords than the ones the shop had. And I have to add, Louise," Theo said grimly, "you would have been ripped off if you had bought that gold broadsword."

"I had the money," Louise sniffed.

"The sword was mostly made out of gold and gold is useless, Louise. It easily bends and get dent under force unless its properties are added to other metals," Theo told her as he examined Derflinger's scabbard in his hands. "My, you need a lot of work. And a legendary sword like you would need a legendary blacksmith to get you good as new or even better," the noble murmured to the sword.

Louise stared at him for talking at an inanimate object. Perhaps he had gone mad. Didn't the sword talked back in the shop? Her brain reminded her.

"Know one, partner—if you don't mind me calling you as one," the sword answered and added hastily to Louise's surprise. It's not everyday one gets a sentient sword.

"You're a sword, I am a swordsman. Of course we're partners, if we're not then you're just something I use to scratch my back," Theo replied and slipped the worn leather strap from the scabbard over his head. "But you make a bad back-scratcher," he added thoughtfully. "Or a cheese-cutter, or a poking stick, or a…" Louise zoned out as he trailed on meaninglessly.

To tell the truth, Louise felt dead tired. Her mind was too much in thought from yesterday, and still was. Perhaps writing a letter to Catteleya will help. It always does. And Theo wasn't helping either. Every time she put a peg down on him, he always pulls a surprise that just blows the tent away.

They walked out of the main gate and towards the beaten path leading to academy, but stopped when both realized something. There was a lack of a certain devilish black horse.

"Mere?" Theo called to the grassy clearings by the path's side. "Mere!" he called louder and whistled. "**MERE!**" he roared, sending startled birds in the forest to flight. Louise just only winced at the sudden boom of his voice. "That's strange," Theo muttered under his breath as he scanned the clearing.

"So we're stranded," Louise grumbled and crossed her arm. _Great_, _just great_, she thought sourly and stared dagger at Theo. It's all his fault.

Theo ignored the grumbling adolescent glaring at him and pondered deeply. He suddenly brightened up when he remembered a spell he'd learn during his childhood, but there was one problem, he wasn't good at casting it and he didn't get much chance to use it as it was banned in Cyrodiil. Didn't stop aspiring battlemages though.

"Louise, I'm going to try something," Theo told her gently.

"Well, what is it?" Louise asked and blinked in surprise when Theo was suddenly clutching a black, metallic, ebony staff. It was quite a strange staff too as it was just a black metal rod, crafted shoddily, well not exactly. It reminded Louise how a crystal would grow if it was to be a rod, except this one was just cold metal. Its length reached to Theo's shoulder. That told her it was considerably long.

"Derf, meet Wabbajack," Theo told the sword on his back.

"Partner, that's a wild powerful thing in your hand," the rusty sword muttered warily.

"I know." Theo grinned. "most unpredictable in other hands but only obey truly to its master. But…" Theo added thoughtfully, "very fickle and mischievous, even with its owner." The Germanian noble then tapped the ground with its steel end, and the tip crackled, glowing wildly red, spitting tiny fireworks.

The air before them exploded, staggering the two by the sudden blast. Louise cough as the cloud of debris fell. She peeked her eyes open and noticed a peeved Theo standing in front of her, not blackened with soot but still dusty from the debris settled on him. There was a white bunny at his feet, sniffing the tip of his black riding boots. It then hopped away towards freedom, disappearing into the greeneries around them.

"Your spells, does this happen often?" Louise asked, couldn't help but compare to her own experience. This one was much tamer than her usual explosion but it left a residual of power crackling the air around them… and a rabbit.

"Only with Wabbajack," Theo grunted curtly. "Haha, very funny Wabbajack," he muttered under his breath and this time he grabbed Louise by the shoulder before flicking his wrist, drawing a circle into the air with the tip of his staff. The staff cackled again and Louise braced herself. _Brimir_, this was what her class felt like every time when she flick her wand.

Nothing happened. She frowned and gazed at Theo, then noticed the edge of his figure started to shimmer and glow furiously white. It spread from him and onto her through the grip on her shoulder. The fabric of her clothes crackling and fluttered softly off her skin, Louise realized they were softly drifting upward as the pull of gravity disappeared.

"That's far too..." Theo began when he pushed his feet softly against the ground. Wrong move. They burst into blurring speed with Louise giving a brief shriek while suddenly hugging tightly on Theo's arm. This was far worse than the horse ride she had yesterday! Louise widened her eyes when she realized the forest was far below her feet.

"…overpowered!" Theo finished with a shout when they suddenly spiraled uncontrollably upward in their flight; the world around them blurring into spats of color as the sky orbit around them.

"What spell is this?!" Louise shrieked as the air blew past them while they zipped through the sky.

"Levitation! But it's not supposed to be this fast!" Theo yelled through the howling in their ear while they whirl uncontrollably in the air. "Or this crazy!" he added.

Derf though was ecstatic compared to them, yelling, "Yeah! Yeah! Weeeeeeeeeeee~!" from Theo's back.

"Oh gods!" Theo swore as they spun in the air, caught in some invisible sideway cyclone. Louise just kept her eyes closed and hugged tightly onto the Germanian, squishing any disdain or distrust on his nationality.

_'I told you,'_ Martin's voice rang inside Theo's head.

_'Shut it!'_ The Prince snapped back crossly as Theo narrowed his eyes, concentrating while the world spiral around them. Ever since he took back his throne, Theo's magic had gone wild and unpredictable as Wabbajack. It became much more _alive_ and harder to control.

"**HOLD!**" Sheogorath's voice boomed from his throat and their flight suddenly slid into snail-pace. They floated there, hundreds feet up in the air and parallel to the ground, held in some thick, syrupy, invisible water.

_'Isn't that Jyggalag's power?'_ Martin inquired.

Theo ignored him and quickly gripped onto the reins of his magic tightly as the last lingers of his power slid away. They burst back into speed, but this time in a straight shot towards the distant Academy.

Louise slowly opened her eyes as she felt her hair brushed back from her face from a constant pull. She blushed deeply, realizing she was hugging tightly around Theo's waist. Quickly she pulled back then whimpered when she suddenly drifted away.

"Don'tLetGo!Don'tLetGo!Don'tLetGo!" she sputtered as her grip slipped from Theo's arm.

Theo smiled amusingly and snatched a hold on her hand before she slipped off. Louise clutched onto his hand tightly, wishing he pulled her closer.

"Relax!" Theo yelled as the air rushed by them in their flight.

Not when they were hundreds feet up in the air and going faster, crazier than a ride on Shadowmere!

"Louise you can't cling onto me for the whole flight. It'll take about an hour or more before we reach your school!" Theo yelled.

The girl just gritted her teeth but force them to unclench. The heartbeat in her ribcage slowed but still fluttering. Louise stared at the greenery below brushing past them, but quickly looked up to avoid dizzying her mind.

She noticed the slightly tilted horizon and the tip of the towers of her school poking in the distant. Flying… she was flying, Levitating. So this what it felt like using the Levitation spell. Though it was much faster than the usual spell the students use.

She blinked. Even with the wind brushing through her hair and clothes, her eyes felt fine as if shielded.

"Theo!" she yelled, "how come we're going so fast!"

"Wabbajack!" Theo answered back vaguely. "Likes to put more than one spell effect!"

With Levitation at this speed, how much Willpower does he actually have? Louise thought. Immense probably. And that meant he was powerful, something mother would definitely approve. Louise shrieked when they suddenly slowly spiral in a lazy fashion and realized something.

"Stop that!" she yelled at Theo, knowing he was controlling their flight with that gleeful grin on his face.

"Did you just say faster?!" he yelled when he looked back on her.

"No! I said stop—" Louise screamed when they suddenly dived downward. She clung on tightly onto Theo and felt the sudden feather lightness spreading over them. It felt like floating… Louise thought at awe and held back her whimpers when they slowly circle and spiral lazily in their flight. They were waltzing, like the birds in spring time doing their court dance… a crack of smile started to grace her lips and without realizing she was grinning, having fun in their dance.

She spread her arms, willing to part away from Theo but kept a firm grip on his hand. She was flying!

Whatever was heavy on her mind due was blown away from the rushing feeling of air brushing past her.

* * *

As the evening sky blushed, the academy emerged before them and Louise waited to be slowed down, except they were still going fast.

"Theo! I think we should slow down!" Louise yelled and noticed the drain look on Theo's face.

Wabbajack must have put a spell effect that drained his stamina, but she didn't know that. She thought it was his Willpower depleting.

"Theo!" she yelled at the drain, tired man and shook his arm. She looked up and panic, they were about to smack into a tower like flies!

"I can't," Theo mumbled under his breath. It was not because he was dead tired. It was because he was losing grip on his magic again. This was Wabbajack doing. He looked up, noticing the grey stonewalls of the tower and a large window coming at them. He pulled Louise quickly to himself and turned around, his back facing the tower.

Louise curled up and covered her head when they crashed through the window and into a lecture hall, shattering the glass and surprising the extra tuition class. Theo's back slammed into the wall on the other side of the lecture hall. With Derf being on his back, pain just burst and blinded his mind. The Levitation spell disappeared in that painful moment, and they fall downward with Louise shrieking in his arm. He landed with a heavy thump onto the shard-littered floor, cushioning Louise when she fell on top of him. Theo just groaned in pain when that happen and quickly fell unconscious.

Louise pulled herself off him then quickly stood up, yelling angrily until she noticed the Germanian was lying on the floor, unconscious.

"Theo?" she hurried to the unconscious man and shook him violently. "Theo!" she yelled.

"Girly, he's dead!" Derf cried. His voice muffled from being pressed down by Theo's back.

"What!" Louise shrieked.

"Oh wait, he's not," Derf added quickly when he felt Theo inhaling. "He should be though. Should have broken his spine or his head or a bone or two, but he's not like you girly. Not made of fragile stuff."

Louise ignored that last part.

"Miss Valliere!" a sharp cracking voice snapped.

She looked up and realized they had an audience.

"Explain!" the teacher snapped, her face stormy as the students in the background snickered something along the lines with 'Louse and a Germanian noble! A Valliere with a Germanian!'

She had a lot of explaining to do. Louise just stared like a deer caught in a spotlight.


	6. Idle and gossips

**Fucking errors *grumbles***

* * *

_Us gods… we're just a force of nature. We are slaves and master to our nature._

* * *

**Idle and gossips**

* * *

As Lord Sheogorath remains absent from his throne, the madman's madman, the infallibly sane and loyal Chamberlain Haskill was busily managing the matters of the Isles resident. In another words, another day amongst the insane.

"I'm telling you I saw him putting my Shoo in his stew!" Mania's current crazy cat lady pointed accusingly at the local Dementia's orc.

Let's not forget that Tamriel's equivalent housecat tended to be magically and intelligent powerful mages that needed not to chant a single word to cast a legendary spell. How in the Nirn would an Alfiq wanted to be a housecat, no one knows, but let's just say it went insane as the rest of the mortals tended to do once going on the Golden Road.

Perhaps Sheogorath finds it funny on making not-so domesticated housecat housecats, but his Lord always had a morbid sense of humor. The Alfiq probably ran away or something, or somehow escape the Realm entirely. Well good luck on that cat.

"Have you tried searching along the roads," Haskill asked calmly, sighing inwardly.

"Of course I've search along the roads!" The lady burst but paused. She's got the tangle wild hair of a birds nest and raggedy clothes, bonus the smell of thousands of wet feline furs. "Actually I only look up amongst the trees. Cats like trees, right?" she stared at the chamberlain with intensity that one would entirely describe as downright _creepy_.

"R'ahjiit finds that offensive, R'ahjiit, R'ahjiit" ribbit the invisible Khajiit flat on the floor… well not so invisible. The cat just _thinks_ he was. "You can't see me. You can't see me," R'ahjiit repeated, "no one can," he muttered so full of loneliness.

And this came from a cat who thought he was cursed with invisibility.

"They're watching me. I can see their golden eyes in the shadows," Haskill heard the orc burst. "So I tried killing her pet!" the orc finally confessed. "And I dunk one of them in my stew. Cats are preferably much better as a stew!" Haskill reminded himself that this particular orc was a compulsive liar. Anything he says, one has to take the opposite of what've been said.

"See! _SEE!_" shrieked the lady. Haskill winced at the high-pitch ringing left in his hearing.

"R'ahjiit saw him eating a stick, not an Alfiq. Cat too smart not to get caught by mean ugly orc, R'ahjiit, R'ahjiit," R'ahjiit ribbit.

Haskill sighed then look at the Dark Seducer that walked in almost imploringly. At first glance, one would describe the Seducer as an alien beauty of a female humanoid. Her skin glistened of her dark grey complexion with sheen of metallic red tinting her slightly. Her blue piercing eyes spoke entirely of her nature. She was a Daedroth, best not to think her as some beauty but more as a violent creature of Oblivion. "Did you find the cat?" he sighed.

The Seducer lifted a potato bag into the air. The bag squirmed until she dropped it on the floor. A very wet feline slid out from the bag and hissed hatefully at the two-legs around it. Meet the current Duke of Mania.

"Your grace," Haskill nodded in courtesy at the cat.

It sniffed at him and began grooming itself before promptly circling around the spot on the floor, almost dancing. It burst into flame, turning clinging droplets of water immediately into mist. With a whoosh, the flames disappeared, leaving a very satisfied dried cat walking daintily up to Haskill.

It stared at him accusingly then looked past the chamberlain, at the empty throne. _Where is our Lord_, the cat seemed to ask him.

"Unfortunately away… again," Haskill said those words disgustedly.

_See that you find him_, blazing pyromanic eyes narrowed on the chamberlain as its tail twitched. Oh the world will burn if this cat was let loose on Nirn. The cat twirl around and walked away with Mania's cat lady slaving away after it, with the orc having vanish the moment the cat had walked in.

Never ever ask why this cat became a housepet of some crazy lady when it was the Duke of Mania. Since this is the Shivering Isles, it probably involved with some tale that's full of illogical insanity. Perhaps it was love. Haskill coughed at the notion. Madly in love seems the plausible answer.

At least that's the last of the problems… of the day. Haskill sighed tiredly and motioned the Saints and Seducers to lock the main entrance door.

The chamberlain turned around and looked up, expecting an amused Lord smirking (mostly at his expense) while lounging on the throne, except none greeted his sight. A tiny bit of melancholy and relief twinge inside Haskill, but he merely dismissed those feelings off.

For some reason, his Lord prefers the companies of Divines instead of Princes… well a certain Divine, Haskill doesn't know about the rest of Divines. Nor would he think the dead gods would approve his Lord.

"No one can see me, no one can," Haskill heard the soft mumble.

The chamberlain sighed. "R'ahjiit, I can hear you perfectly fine and I know you're hiding behind the throne," the chamberlain called out. "Please remove your presence lest I sent the Saints to escort you out."

"Only Lord Sheogorath can see meeee…" R'ahjiit mourned as he dragged himself out.

Haskill inhaled once again and stepped forward. The glass ceiling above him suddenly smashed into pieces. The glass-stain was the most prize jewel of the palace. A gift from an ex-Azura's greatest artist that Sheogorath worked hard to drive her insane so that essence, the blinding beauty the artist may saw in Azura's realm, could be shown in her works.

The culprit, or culprits that smashed through the glass ceiling, were two snarling Daedra having a go at each other. An Aureal and a Mazken to be exact.

Haskill rubbed his forehead as two Daedra clashed in front of him. If Lord Sheogorath was here, he would probably laugh at the sight before him and promptly leave, dumping the problem on his chamberlain's lap. Or he could go the other way, laugh and ripped the two off each other before stringing them up upside down and yelling at them for entirely different reason.

And this was pretty tame really considering it was at the end of day and _in_ court. Outside was much much worser.

* * *

Louise face turned red as the whispers around her seemed to follow in her walk.

She could hear the soft words 'Germanian and Valliere… missing yesterday…spend a night together…never knew she was into…' The students watched her. She could feel their eyes on her, the hidden smirks at the corner of their lips, judging her, whispering scandalous lies!

The shriek of protest was bubbling in her throat but she stuffed back deep inside, puffing her chest full of her eternal screaming. She gritted her teeth and she stomped her way to the infirmary. It's all his fault! His fault! She's going to slap him in the face three thousand and thirty three times for this!

"Louise!"

No. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. Her head felt like it was about to explode as it burns up. She slowly turned around and narrowed her eyes, only to face a pair of big melons. Immediately she corrected her gaze and looked up.

"What is it, Zerbst?" she said between clenched teeth at the smirking Germanian.

"I didn't know you like Germanians man!" Kirche giggled. "And here I thought you're one of the nobles quick to judge us _barbarians_. Tell me, who is he!" she inched close to her all of a sudden. Was-was she teasing her?! Not in the usual insulting manner, Louise thought quietly when she saw something twinkled in the Germanian's eyes. Genuine interest, and something else. Mischief?

Louise stepped back immediately, wanting space between them. Her face scrunched, showing her clear dislike and discomfort.

"He's no one," Louise snapped.

"Oh," Kirche blinked, not at all bothered at her response. "If he's really no one, why do you hang out with him?"

Louise doesn't know. The simple answer was because… well she summoned him, and he was her familiar. And she needed to know more about him. He was to be connected to a Valliere if he's to stay as her familiar… champion… protector…whatever! Actually she's just making things up.

"Because," she gritted. "he's…"

"Your beau?"

Louise widened her eyes and looked at the grinning Germanian girl. "WHAT!" she shrieked. To be openly address b-by those horrendous gossip!

"Well you went out with him yesterday and didn't came back for the night," Kirche said innocently.

The young Valliere seethed. This was all his fault. All his fault! She's going to kill him. Kill him.

Kirche watched as the young Valliere suddenly fled. Disappointment washed through her. She really wanted to know who the guy really was. The girl smirked, she should keep an eye out on her and maybe see who's this fellow Germanian.

* * *

"Ow."

"Ow!"

"Ow," Theo yelped repeatedly as another shard was pulled out of his back.

A medical ply seized on a small chipped glass. The sound of chinking greeted next when it was dropped into a bloody bowl glittered with shards and chipped glass.

Not worse than getting arrows pulled out of his back, but still… it was pain. Quite nostalgic really, seating still while a healer work on him. Reminded him one of those nights at Cloud Ruler Temple, where he comes in shambling, riddled with assassin's arrows and had to face a very peeved, sleep-deprived, daedric-addled emperor-to-be ex-priest as his healer. It was on that night he learned that Martin had a temper the likes equal to a dragon. And it was downright scary night to learn that. Getting a book thrown at you is never a nice experience.

So Theo behaved like a good boy as his back gets picked. He rolled his eyes, surly at the nostalgic reminder. Now one had to wonder how in the world was he able to _not_ pay attention when there was a screaming banshee right in front of him. That banshee happens to have strawberry-blonde hair and a voice that leaves ringing in one's ears.

"…won't stop talking about you and me! A Valliere with a lowly Germanian noble! My family name is tainted because of YOU and…" Louise went on shrieking as the healer worked on his back.

Theo stared absentmindedly at the shrieking girl. Now half the thing Louise just said would earn her Wabbajack… if he was in his lazy Madgod mood. If he was in his mean mood, he would rip the girl's mouth right from her face. But she needed some good wabbajacking, he added quietly as she steamed off.

If he was in his sporting mood, he would just laugh along then boot her out through the window and listen to the sound of her last shriek then of breaking bones… no, actually he will just ask her a question whether she wanted a hat made out of her own flayed skin and sweetrolls for bonus.

But he wasn't feeling like that. Nostalgia decided to make him feel like his old mortal self, and his mortal self would just rather sit there as the brunt words went straight into his ear and out of the other side. Worse thing could happened, anyway.

Really, the girl was no match to Martin on one of his bad nights after long reading on the Xarxes. But unlike Martin, she had no boundless patient. She was always angry if not sullen and despondent all the damn time.

"…don't even know you're my familiar! And they just assume I would be willing to go _that_ low as to spend a night… frolicking… dirty gutter… Germanian scum…" was all Theo caught with the occasional, "…Kirche and her BIG MOUTH!" She was such an _articulate_ Valliere.

A heavy cooling sensation washed down against his back. Theo frowned, feeling the mage's magic closing his wound. It was a bit different than the usual standard healing spell. Warmth and lightness weaving into his being was what he expected, instead he felt the squirming of 'water' inside him responding to the mage's… willpower.

Interesting.

"Are you even listening!" Louise's voice shrieked into his ears.

"I am listening," Theo replied nonchalantly. "You said you wouldn't go so low as to spend a night frolicking with a dirty gutter Germanian scum and that Kirche has a big mouth and a big," Theo paused frowning, "whatever," he added lamely, "and that these people are ignorant of my status as your familiar and that you regret summoning me," he said robotically.

"That's not what I said!" Louise protested.

"Is not?" Theo furrowed his eyebrows.

"I said Kirche has a dirty gutter of a mind with a big mouth matching it!" Louise seethed. "And that she dared to spread rumors of me frolicking. Of all things FROLICKING! They're all talking about it! 'Valliere going out with a Germanian!'" she raged. "With-with-with…with," she stared at Theo finally who was buttoning his white silk shirt on, covering a big diamond scar over where his heart would be. That scar. The dream popped out, the gold giant's sword stabbing through the crusader's chest. "You," Louise added weakly as the scar disappeared under his shirt.

Theo blinked when she finished and burst into laughter that made Louise cringed. The Germanian collapsed on the examining table all of a sudden, surprising his healer to yelp. The healer, finally had enough, spun around, snatching the bowl and medical tool and went towards the back of the room, muttering about annoying patients.

"It's not funny!" Louise yelled over Theo's laugh.

The Germanian didn't hear but simply curled up in a fetal position, clutching his stomach as he laugh until his eyes glistened with tears.

"Cheer up, Louise!" Theo told her finally between chuckle with a _stupid_ grin on his face! "They're simply having a bit of sport and teasing… on you!" he added with a burst and back to laughing.

"Aren't you even worried about your reputation!" Louise yelled at him, infuriated.

"No!" Theo answered with that annoying grin on his face. "Because it's just plain gossip! Perhaps not harmless but it's not like it's going to entirely destroy me!" he cackled.

"What about me!" Louise snapped. "My mother…" Louise began then widened her eyes. "My mother!" she sucked in her breath in panic. Mother.

Mother would be disappointed, angry. No, beyond angry. They couldn't afford to make alliance with any Germanian. For one they were the Valliere, the noble family that were on the frontier against Germania, and of course dealt with any escaped Germanian's bandits raiding the borders.

She would probably think Theo was corrupting her… or being a bad influence on her, or maybe doubt his status as a noble if he was unwilling to answer. Theo's behavior was anything but tame. Louise thought, dreading any letter from home. She might even come here… Louise bit the bottom of her lips and turned her eyes back on Theo. It was then she noticed something. The solid wooden bench was empty. Theo was gone. Vanished. Disappeared.

* * *

"Mere?" Theo poked his head into the stable.

No black horse snarled at him. So he moved on.

"Mere?" the Germanian noble called in the field outside the academy.

No horse mocked him in the distant. Theo frowned and went to the next likely location. The courtyard near the kitchen's exit.

"Mere!" he called, waiting for a horse to bite him from behind for bothering.

None did. Well… where was she? Theo scratched his stubble chin, where his beard was growing. Dagon's razor was amazing help slowing the growth of his beard. He still kept that dagger, just to spite the Prince of Destruction that he used it for shaving. But never mind that, he's got a missing horse to worry about.

Grumbling, Theo walked back towards the great grey stone castle wall of the Academy. He whistled sharply, calling out his horse as he made his way back.

Bah! She's probably sulking, Theo rolled his eyes. Next time he sees her, Theo was going to Wabbajack her into something he could keep his eye on. He smiled viciously at the thought. Everyone loves a Pahmar, right?

After few more minutes of searching, he reached the courtyard between fire and earth tower, that he found his horse… was harassing other familiars. In flurry of colors, screeching and squeaking, the odd assortment of otherworldly creatures retreated on the other side of the courtyard, fleeing from a demonic presence.

Theo stopped at the sight of a blue dragon scrambling away from a black mean-looking horse. He crossed his arm and took it in. Aka's children beaten by a creature of the Void. Huh.

_'Don't rub it in,'_ he heard Martin's mutter in his head. _'She's young. And your horse is probably older than her elder.'_ There was a sullen tone in his voice that surprised Theo.

_'Are you sulking?'_ Theo asked only to have silence as his reply.

Looking back, he watched his black horse circled around in her place, as if claiming her territory. What is she, trying to make herself Empress of Tamriel here? Mere looked up and glared at the familiars, and they cringed under her stares. Some bristled, some hissed, some quivered, but all cowered under her glare.

"Kyui~ Kyui~!" a dragon whimpered when it hid, or tried to hide behind the other smaller familiars. Theo blinked at the sight and caught a small quiet girl standing right by the blue dragon.

"Told you," he heard the girl murmured to the dragon. "Should've fly," she said and climbed up on the dragon's back.

"Kyui~" the dragon whimpered, humbled.

The most magnificent, fiercest, powerful, dominating creature was whimpering of all thing, obeying a little girl. Child of Aka this one definitely is, Theo thought drily as he watched them launched off, flying over the walls. A horse neighed fiercely and Theo looked down sharply, noticing Shadowmere rearing up on her hind legs under the darkening evening sky.

Dramatic as always. He can't believe she was an assassin's horse.

Shadowmere truly fit her namesake, with being almost like a walking silhouette of a horse, if it weren't for her red eyes casting her as something demonic. And she most certainly has the attitude that matches her appearance. Probably it came with being an assassin's horse. But is Mere is actually _a_ horse? She appears as one but many of her owners highly doubt she_is_ one. Whatever she is, the familiars _knows_ and they were keeping far away from her as possible.

She acts like a typical, violent, bloodthirsty, sporting Daedroth, perhaps she is one. Creature of Void and all, Theo thought as those hooves clopped back on the ground. Those same hooves had bashed many skulls and dented armors. Her speculated nature would explain her eagerness in sporting for her enemies blood, and troublesome behavior. But whatever she was, she was a being of the Void just as her current master is.

Speaking of her master, Theo breathed in and whistled a tune, calling his horse's attention. Mere whickered softly as she lifted her head up, stomping the cobblestone with one of her hooves. She came diligently and not at all cowering under his glare. A being of Void or not, Mere certainly has loyalty and never betrayed such loyalty lightly.

"You've got a lot of nerve, don't you, Mere," he growled at his horse once she stood tall before him. The horse snorted, entirely unfazed by the look he was giving. "Guess I have to use this," he grimly pulled the ebony staff from his back.

There was a flash of red followed by the sound of panicking and unsettled familiars.

* * *

Dinner. Sleep. Execute Plan. She thought then frowned, remembering an upsetting variable. That noble. He came out of nowhere. Summoned, from what Colbert had told the Headmaster in her eavesdropping. Had an unusual runes… one that might share the same fabled Brimir's familiars.

She had been working here for more than three months. Memorized schedules, remembered the staffs name, their duties, their habits, and any information that might involve with her heist.

She couldn't afford one eccentric noble unpredictably changing his schedule and stumbling into her heist. If that happens, she has to put him down quickly. And that's the thing, she doesn't know what class he was or his elements. Fire? If he was a triangle or square mage, he would be something reckoned… if he was a battlemage, an experienced one like Colbert.

Water? Same case as Fire, but different approach, but what would be _his_ approach? A mystery, a puzzle out of place that could ruin a perfectly formed plan. She grunted in frustration as she walked up along the corridor.

Earth? Much to be reckoned with, considering he could stop her golem from working if he clashed his will against hers. If he was a triangle or square mage that is.

Air? That… that was much dangerous. For she was out in the open, vulnerable if he had altitude. She will have to work much harder to shield off any strikes from above. And that took time and time was enough to wake the whole damn Academy.

It wasn't to her taste, this heist. She'd never like going away from her usual subterfuge strategy. Getting a three-storey high golem pounding two-feet thick enchanted stone wall was bound to make a lot of noise, and that meant a lot of attention. Never mind, if the concoctions she'd bribed one of the servant to put into the foods and drinks works, the whole academy would be dead asleep by then.

Still the gnawing worries on the back of her mind did not stop. She was too paranoid. Always worried that a staff might decided to skip dinner or their tea, but that meant they were too sick and not well. She couldn't let some silly nilly ruin her plan, hence she had… ahem, persuade Chef Marteau's to cook his famous dish. Everyone loved his cooking, and no one hardly says no to his cooking. Only the dead refuse.

So everyone would be in the main dining hall. Everyone would be there. And if some decided to skip, well they're going to be few and they won't have the back up of others to stop her, she reassured herself. It will take more than a handful of mage to stop Foquet. Mathilda smirked at the thought as she walked into the library, only to walk into the face of a black demonic tiger.

It snarled at her, barring sharp shiny white teeth. Startled, she stepped back instinctively, back pressing against the bookshelf. What… what! Her heart hammered against her rib cage as she stared in wide eye at the black tiger lounging on the nest of books, grooming its huge black paws. Negligently stacked opened books beneath it… made into a tiger's nest.

She smoothed down her hair and fixed her glasses before examining what's before her.

A black tiger… a _black_ tiger. Its fur glossed with rich black with stripes glistening a lighter hue of purplish-black. They're myth! Myth! Stories. A rare Gallian royal black tiger. Mathilda inched forward, curious, at awe as the black tiger groomed. It was huge! Big. A giant. Even when it was laying down she was sure its height would reach past her waist height. It had mouth big enough to fit a head probably. Its eyes had the range of fierce fiery colors leaning towards red.

This beast could catch fetching prize on the black market! Tiger hunters would drool at the sight! She was sure there was some nobles out there who would want to add this pet into the collection.

But this was an Academy full of mages. Any animal and beast here are likely a familiar. But whose familiar was this? Mathilda thought then heard a slam further down the rows of bookshelf. Slowly she walked toward the noise, ignoring the growling tiger watching her.

The green-haired mage walked out of the bookshelf and frowned at the sight before her. A mage cloaked in purple was lounging _on top_ on one of many shelves, reading a book and while what should be empty spaces along side of him, was filled with negligently stacked and opened books.

She put her hands on her hips at the sight and cleared her throat loudly enough. The book put down and a face looked up. A glint of purple and grey eyes stared back at her.

"Yes?" he said sweetly and looked down on her in a condescending way.

She narrowed her eyes at that behavior, and more importantly on the book he was holding. That… how did he get that? It was one of the restricted book, out of the way. The one Colbert shown to the Headmaster. "I was wondering if you happen to have a black tiger as a familiar?" Miss Longueville said coolly.

He blinked and tilted his head, examining her. "You mean Mere?" he said.

Having said the name, the tiger walked out from behind her and sat itself at the bottom of the shelf, mewling. Mathilda was right, that thing could fit a whole doorway. The tip of its ears went past her chest, that was how tall and big it was. And it was mewling when it was some ferocious beast before that looked like it wanted to _eat_ her!

"No, I'm not changing my mind," he said briskly down at the tiger. "And you my furry friend, don't think you can use that tactic on me. You were behaving like some sour puss. Owning the world and all, so this _form_," he pointed at the tiger, "suits you best!" he said cheerily. "If it makes you feel any better, you can go inside and harass students now!"

The tiger growled sullenly and sat down on its belly.

Mathilda watched this scene quietly. Colbert wasn't lying. This noble _is_ eccentric. She cleared her throat again to catch the noble's attention.

"Are you going to return the books to their _correct_ place?" Miss Longueville spoke, using the same tone she used to chide the senile pervert of a Headmaster.

"Of course!" the noble answered with a grin. "You don't have to worry a single thing, dear," he said. Mathilda's eyes twitched at the mention of _dear_. "By the way," he added with a blink, "what are _you_ doing here?" he narrowed his eyes.

"A library is a place to read and require a book," Longueville explained, "It's not uncommon for a staff to search for one, Mister…" she frowned, trying to remember his surname.

"Aegis," the noble answered curtly.

That was… a very old name. Longueville raised her eyebrow at that. "Terror," she said the meaning of his name.

"I prefer storm, or we could go the opposite, gods shield, divine protection," the noble said negligently. "But it depends, would you see a storm as a blessing or something terrorizing?" he asked, humoring her.

"Both, a storm brings change, movements," Longueville answered. "It brings water, life to the earth, but in other parts it creates floods and wash away those weakly rooted, killing."

"But it impedes progress, movements," he pointed out. "And we're not just talking about a rainstorm only. It could be a hurricane, a snowstorm, maybe a sandstorm," he went on. "None of them are good as they wreck more that any effort to recover one has to take two steps back, or maybe three." He held up three fingers at her. "Any progress worked will just be reverted back to the start," he told her softly with his eyes twinkling a bit as he leaned his chin on his supporting arm.

"A point. But I still believe it is both," Mathilda said, smiling softly. A bit of philosophical debate was something she enjoyed. Reminded her time with her tutors when she was young. Too bad fate hadn't let her become a philosopher. "Well, as much as I enjoy conversing, I better get going," she told him and turned around.

"Oh Miss Longueville," she stopped when he called. "One more question."

She turned her head slightly, eyeing him from the corner of her sight.

"Would you dare to walk outside even in the middle of a storm?" he asked slyly. "And it's not some silly rain. But a fully blowing storm that wrecks everything in its path," he added.

She paused, considering the question and narrowed her eyes slightly on him. A peculiar question, innocent inquire on an opinion, but one can't help feeling she was being judged.

"If there is something worth it," she answered then walked out of the room.

The eccentric noble smirked as he watched her back disappeared behind the door.

"Only the daring would go out in a storm, Miss Longueville," he murmured and tilted his head. "That and the insane," he said softly and snapped his book shut. He looked down on the black Pahmar below him, "but the insane rather dance _with_ the storm," he told his tiger before smiling.

"Ah Nocturnal, it's no wonder why you like thieves. Risk-taker they all are," he said softly as he laid back down on the bookshelf, resting his head underneath his arms. "And I'm a Gandalfr," he grinned at the coincidence and irony. "Gods shield."

Gods shield, Gandalfr, Aegis. Terror, divine protection, a violent storm. Well that sounds like the Divine Crusader, Pelinal Whitestrake.

"O Aka," he spoke the Time Dragon's name as he stared at the space up beyond the ceiling that roofed him. "I watch you watching me watching back."

* * *

_And no Perrif was there to call for us when you rage and kill the earth in whole._

* * *

**Fish-stick.**

**You know what. I like Morrowind's Sheogorath. He's very quaint and charming, you can imagine having a tea party in a pretty lovely environment... and then he morphs into Shivering Isles/Skyrim's Sheogorath, promptly ripping out your intestine while laughing wonderfully about cheese even with the blood everywhere. Daggerfall's Sheogorath though is wonderful too, truly nonsensical, but he's too indecisive, with good reason, until you realize he'd built the most mind-boggling and frustrating dungeon between the Mantella and us. And he watches us while we were running in circle in his dungeon as if were some mice in a maze, then laughs at us before inviting us over to his parlor. Fucking troll...**

**Here's a nice tid bit about Sheogorath from Daggerfall: ****_You may be aware that I am a master of the blade. But what is my other favored weapon? Answer correctly, then arm yourself._**

**The dungeon he built... it's a giant ass crossbow or in the shape of one. I swear he's trolling us. Trolling us when he asked that question. Doesn't help his sprite was grinning when the obvious answer was crossbrow. Daggerfall Sheogorath had too much time in his hands and waaay too much of a fucker compare to his other appearance later in later games.**

**Now the challenge is mixing them all, especially that daggerfall gentleman bastard, with Pelinal's and CoC's personality... and the most frustrating of them all, Lore Sheogorath.**


	7. The Entrepreneur

**I didn't forget. Just... urgh, Real Life. The E is coming. Plus Lemony Snicket morbid's humor... Y'know I notice my writing tends to be more skeleton-wise near the end of chapter. I'll fix that later (LIES! the brain yells).**

* * *

_To the Empire!_

_I cherished. You perished_

_The world's gone nightmarish'd._

* * *

**The Entrepreneur**

* * *

The healer grumbled as she dumped the medical tools in the boiling hot water. She muttered something about Germanians and their barbaric behavior, not noticing the bloody bowl of chipped glasses and shards at the side was steaming. Gold mist wafted from the evaporating blood dewing the shards. It glistened the air, fluttering briefly into shapes of butterflies made of sunrays. And like the motes in sunrays, they faded out of the world.

Daedra leaves no essence behind since in the end, they were just powerful spirits projected into the laws of physicality. What blood, limbs, or weapons and armor left, will eventually return to their home plane, the Void, Oblivion.

If the healer knew such knowledge, she would finally be aware of the fact there was, to them, a demon standing on the same ground that many innocent students and staffs lived on – if she had known the meaning of the steaming bowl and of course, saw it. But she was too preoccupied on her prejudice against Germanians.

* * *

After having the nerve to drag him out of his fortress of books, much to the unnerving presence of a big black tiger snarling at them, the Headmaster and the Fire Mage professor finally had a chance to scold him thoroughly.

It was simply because he took Louise for the whole night without reporting on this before, as Osmond had sort-of scolded while strangely acting odd, Sanguine odd, Theo had thought at the time. The old man was acting like a creepy bastard leering about some hidden innuendo on 'the night with Louise' … much to Colbert's loud grimace in the background.

Theo, knowing he was facing another Sanguine (AKA Prince of debauchery… well Osmond was more into debauchery instead of dark indulgence) he simply admitted his inability to stop harm from falling on the girl during the robbery attack, which Colbert took the opportunity to remind he got the school window smashed upon their return. The damage was quickly resolved with a bagful of gold drakes quickly shutting them up, even much to Colbert stuttering until Osmond kicked him in the ankle. (They needed all the funds they could get, the old man had said).

And since this was Theo, the current resident Madgod taking unofficial vacation/soul-searching journey (he blamed Martin for that. Always going about 'reminding yourself, my friend,' in that worldly patient attitude. The nerves dragons has… but Ruptga would rather slapped Sep with a big stick to set things straight. So he shouldn't really be complaining about Martin's attitude lest he want a big stick smacked to his face) Theo couldn't past the opportunity to twist and exaggerated the rumors about him in a calm professional tone of what a psychopath, not him as he reminded, would've done on that night with a kidnapped Louise.

This disturbed the Headmaster and Professor Colbert into silence, speculating _that_ psychopath could be him with the way he went on in details, details only a sociopathic would know as he explained in a calm tone. Then Theo turned the context inside out and laughed at the paleness in their face.

"But if only this was true!" Theo had burst brightly before adding, in a simpleminded boyish manner, how Louise and he enjoyed a wonderful cake at the capital on that afternoon before promptly muttering darkly about how they didn't have his favorite cheese cake, whatever that was. It ruined the dark clouds the previous topic had brought.

An awful joke this Germanian had pulled of, pulling and plucking their emotions like some tight strings on a lute. Colbert thought sourly when he'd noticed, if imagined, the menacing gleeful glint in Theo's eyes as the Germanian cheerfully went on. Something about those eyes told they had been satisfied at the results of their reactions.

If such rumors were true, Louise's mother would come to them in a surge of hurricane and promptly destroy them like the 'Heavy Wind', or as Colbert had muttered to the Headmaster when Theo's back was turned. And that had made Theo curious on this 'Heavy Wind'. Who, a prominent obscured figure, would take such an awful innuendo as a runic name?

It sounded like a name one would get for having a gastric problem, or a much nicer thought, breathing problem. And he commented this lightly to Louise while he was simply nosing her. She obviously was avoiding him ever since they came back. Derflinger had promptly burst into laughter at what he'd said with Louise turning volcanic red.

That _almost_ got him kicked out of the room quicker than said a famous 'hurricane' could. And when she'd failed to throw him out, she threw Derflinger, well she threw the sentient sword right at him. The pointy end just ended up embedded into the wooden door right beside his head.

"A good thrower," he'd commented before a loud slam of a book thudded to his left. "Books are not meant to be thrown!" he berated at the girl as Louise shrieked in frustration, tearing her hair out.

Luckily there was knock on the door. Louise froze in her kick, sparing Theo's shin from bruising.

"Who is it?" she called out.

"It's me, Siesta. I brought you your dinner, as requested," a soft muffled murmur came from behind the wooden door.

Louise sighed in relief. At last, she didn't need to face the stupidity of scandalous rumors and lies, or the poking fingers, or the lecherous spoken thought from Kirche, or the look on Old Osmond face. Louise couldn't stand it, so she's going to eat her dinner in her room… if this how the whole academy is going to behave during the school dinner.

"Come in!" she ordered then turned to her table, clearing the stacks of books and placing them back in her shelf.

"I…" the girl's voice faltered. "I can't!" she cried helplessly.

Louise frowned and shot a look at the door. Theo though was already there, opening it like a gentleman.

As the door swung inward, Louise could see the reason why the black-haired maid couldn't come in. For both her hands was preoccupied, holding a broad tray that carried her dinner. And on top of her head, balanced, was another tray with another steaming meal.

It was a miracle. Siesta was practically shaking, because as she stood there, she could see the pointy tip of Derflinger poking through the door… right at her. She clearly thinks Louise had it out on her.

"For you and for Mr. Aegis," the maid bobbed in curtsey, her voice teetering with the tray on her head hardly tilting dangerously at all. She must be blessed by some goddess of maid, because that tray balanced on her head should've fallen by now.

"That's lovely for you to do that, m'dear," Theo told her, taking the tray from her head. "Must have been a hassle to climb all those daunting stairs to get here," he said, applauding the girl's effort. "And no one pushed you down the stairs!" he added in his bright disturbing tone.

"Th-thank you?" Siesta blinked at the morbid thought. "I prepared the dinner myself." Siesta added politely and walked past him to put down Louise's tray on the girl's table. Once done, she placed her hands together and turned to face Louise.

"Is there anything else, Miss Louise?" the maid asked politely, albeit weakly.

"Nothing else, Siesta. You're dismissed," Louise said briskly as she seated down.

"Would you like me to attend to you," Siesta continued to ask, insistent.

Louise opened her mouth, irritated of having to repeat herself then stopped. Theo was in her room, Siesta prepared dinner for two, and if she was Kirche… or Guiche, or any other person than herself, everyone might think this as a roman—

"Yes!" Louise suddenly burst with her face bright red, cutting the rest of her thoughts. "And you!" she pointed at Theo, seated across her. "What are you still doing here!" she snapped, incredulous at the two long twiddling needles and a ball of yarn.

"Knitting, of course," Theo drawled the obvious as he… knitted what looked like a scarf of sort. All those yarns offered to him had to go somewhere. It's already piled as high and big as a mountain in Mania. Local had dubbed one brightly woolly mountain as 'Yarn Mountain'. He'd scoffed that name. It was so uncreative for the maniacs. So in the end, they called it, 'woolly. Just woolly'.

Haskill, his most loyal chamberlain, told him to donate those accumulating yarns to the local Fire Festival, in which is the day pyromaniacs come out from the woodworks and burn everything, dead or alive. It's what he gets for putting a pyromanic cat as Duke of Mania. A day with his realm set on fire. How nice.

Louise stared at the man across her and just muttered about the barbaric rudeness of Germanians. He paid no mind, busily attacking his knitting chores.

"Can someone just take me out of the door," Derf whined while he stuck there, in the door.

* * *

Tell her! Siesta screamed silently as Louise ate. Tell her! Her common sense screamed. She's a Valliere, the family with a reputation to be hard law enforcers, the loyal dogs of Tristain royal family, if not the least corruptible of the nobles. Get her on your side then you'll be safer than even these walls of the Academy. But that does not mean the family is fair or justice unlike the other nobles, a dark corner of her mind whispered.

What if you told her you were bribed? She wouldn't accept you innocent or that you've been played victim to Foquet's plots. Don't tell. What if you told her you had a family to take care? What if you told her Foquet knew where her family is and that as she speaks now, gold is being sent there to them to keep her mouth shut. A clear message that he knows where to go to guarantee _that_. She would understand, right? A-and you made a meal for her, free of that… sleeping powder, her mind reminded. Tell her… her subconscious whispered. Tell her. You can help her stop Foquet.

Yes, drawled a sarcastic pessimistic thought. As if anyone could stop Foquet. He'd robbed many nobles and got through all heists unscathed… if the rumors were true. This girl, you're asking is a noble without magic, added a pessimistic thought. Best you don't tell.

But she's a Valliere.

Tell her, Siesta fought with herself. Inside she was bursting, outside she just gazed emptily at Louise, not knowing a certain Germanian noble was watching her with glinting mismatch eyes.

* * *

Late at night, hours had past since dinner, and the concoction finally kicked. At the sudden sleepiness, staffs and students return to their beds, and some that had stayed up at night would immediately fall into drowsiness, then sleep. It could easily be explain by the lateness of the hour.

"One single servant could ruin this heist, Nocturnal," Sheogorath commented dully at the raven on his shoulder.

"It does not matter. This thief would still won. She has lessen the chance of facing against a staff of mages into a number she can handle," Nocturnal's voice rang inside his head as the raven ruffled its feather.

"Well that's just makes the heist boring then," Sheogorath muttered.

"And what would you do to make it interesting," Nocturnal's cold voice murmured into his ears.

Theo tilted his head as he stood on the rooftops of the castle, gazing down from one of the tower. A perfect view of where the thief would attack the thick walls.

"She has not met her match. Even this academy does not provide the means to challenge her genius truly. In this world, the mortals are lax and bunch of softies," Sheogorath muttered the last part sourly.

"It's understandable. This is not, after all, the _arena_," Nocturnal replied.

"Wouldn't you agree," he spoke out of sudden, "Night Mistress that facing one's greatest adversary is a great challenge?" the prince said, grinning under the two moonlights of Halkeginia's moons.

"What bet do you wish to gamble, Madgod?" Nocturnal murmured, amused at his sudden enthusiasm.

"That your thief would fail when face by the great adversary," Sheogorath answered.

A pause came from the raven as it tilted then shook its head, "She will not."

"And I will say she will," Sheogorath betted, "It's a gamble then."

"What are the boons of this gamble?" Nocturnal asked as the distant deep pounding grew.

"You may ask whatever you wish from me," Sheogorath said nonchalantly.

"And this condition applies the other way around if I lose."

"Yes," Sheogorath smiled.

"Why not?" the black raven on his shoulder seeming to shrug. "You are not Sanguine."

"Careful, Nocturnal," Sheogorath grinned. "I could ask that robe of yours as a trophy."

"You wouldn't dare," Nocturnal scoffed in amusement. "You have the soul of a gentleman, mad or not. What needs does this mad banker have for the robe of Lady Luck?"

"To be you for one night perhaps. To cheat your thieves and trick them perhaps. Oh so many things, Nocturnal," Sheogorath grinned devilishly at the silent raven glaring at him, "But I won't waste such favor from you on that robes of yours."

"I wouldn't think so," the raven shook its feather again as Nocturnal's voice harrumphed.

"Besides I could ask Sanguine," he added quickly.

"My raven could peck your eyes right here and now, Sheogorath without you even noticing them' gone. Don't underestimate the quickness of my pet."

"Why Nocturnal, I didn't know you wanted my eyes! I can give them to you willingly, you need only to ask!"

"And watch you pluck your eyes out with your own hands. No. I rather it be pecked and eaten by my ravens."

* * *

Stars were twinkling when the twin moons of Halk blushed in their shine.

Now one would think attacking an academy filled with trained mages is crazy enough, but stealing from one was not much easier. Though what she was about to do now might as well count as attacking. Hence the sleeping dotes she'd firmly commanded the servant to put a careful measure into the school's dinners. It was subtle concoction that works slow but strongly, and practically harmless. It induced the symptom sleepiness gradually, not instantly as one might be alarmed. Plus it wasn't expensive.

She needed everyone to be _dead_ set asleep, and won't wake up from the pounding of her golem. The concoction was an insurance. The guards, unfortunately don't share the same dinner as the high aristocrats students and teachers, but they were easily handled.

Yet Foquet was a thief, and thieves are healthily dosed with paranoia. It's what kept them their head ahead, yet remind them to be focus to the present. Instead of being smug at her success, she accessed her progress calmly as stood on her golem's shoulder. The golem pounded the thick walls of the treasury tower while she was satisfied at her work.

As the sound of a three storey high giant pounded nearby, a certain hooded being was lazily lying on the rooftop of the very tower the golem was focused on. With a bored sigh, highly inaudible beneath the pounding, he pulled out from the air… a shadow in the shape of a claymore. Negligently he dangled it precariously over the edge of the rooftop, right above the thief's place on the golem's shoulder. With a lazy toss, the claymore was thrown, silently twirled in the air before it missed the piece of animated earth, but right _into_ its shadows. Sinking not in earth but melting into its shade.

"If I win, I will have Shadowrend as my trophy," a feminine cold voice declared yet was only heard by one.

"Always after my _sword_, aren't ya, Nocturnal," a male voiced quite amusingly.

"Sometimes, you're worse than Sanguine!"

"Excuuuuuuuse me! I am a gen-tle-man! I do not mean it that _way_, or maybe I do," the voice changed in wonder, "but in the end it is _you_ who have a dirty mind like S—"

Foquet frowned when she felt a rumble, a magical rumble. She turned around swiftly, seeing in time the shadow settling into shape… into a copy of the golem, and her. Her wand whipped and she chanted quickly, noticing that quick movement was also mirrored by her shade.

"…that sword is one of your powerful artifacts, and rightfully its power falls in my sphere."

"Anything falls in my sphere, Nocturnal. Madness is simply but extremization. But of what is the question."

The shade golem moved faster, but that was Foquet own fault, her golem had to turn, and while she chanted to move quicker, her shade took that moment of opportunity. A giant fist of steel rushed toward her, with a quick sharp command, her golem moved to shield her. The bulk of the earth smashed, cracking and crumbling bits down onto the courtyard while sending a sharp tremor up that chattered her teeth. Foquet's giant, in awkward position, slowly tumbled back and slammed against the tower. The thief grunted in effort at the violent jolt, still firmly on her golem's shoulder as she furiously chanted.

Instead of meeting head-on, her giant side-stepped as the golem's shade slammed a fist into the tower, cracking the enchanted stone. And before the shade's arm could retracted, Foquet moved, like a giant sledge hammer her golem smashed the arm off into a heap of earth. It took a mighty damn amount of willpower to keep her own bit of earth together from the shock. She underestimated her enemy's enchantment strength. If the mage was smart, it would not try to chant the crumbled off earth back into the golem. Reforming the earth into shape takes time, and time they did not have.

Unfortunately, she couldn't hope for a stupid enemy today, as the shade had backed off wisely. Glaring at the intruder who dared to interrupt her heist, she noticed how familiar the small hooded figure on the opposite's golem.

A copycat? Or one of the mages of the academy? She thought as her eyes focused in the dark.

"A lost arm, madgod. Well…" a smug voice commented.

"I'm not blind, Nocturnal."

"You're hardly paying attention," chided the voice reprovingly.

"I'm watching."

"You're sleeping."

"Princes do not sleep."

"You're _pretending_ to sleep."

Foquet rushed her golem faster, willpower slipping through her wand and into the animated earth like a gushing river.

If one had seen an armored charging horse smashing into a solid obstacle, it would be similar to what happens next.

With force at her side, she used the heavy momentum of her golem, smashing into the bulk with one giant arm grappling onto the falling shade's giant. Shouting her chants, she poured more willpower, golem tugging backward, steering the other giant in its fall to spun around them… and smashed it into the tower.

Theo winced at the violent rumble shaking through the tower with the sound of avalanche greeting.

"Well, I'll be damn, she broken through the walls," he said to the raven on his shoulder.

"You shouldn't have underestimated the thief," the smug woman's voice replied to him.

"And using the weight of enemy's golem too, no wonder she was willing to pour all her power for speed," Theo clapped loudly in admiration but noticed the slight clatters of earth crumbling onto the courtyard, coming off Foquet's golem. "She's losing a bit of dirt on purpose." He tilted his head in curious.

"Easier for her to manage, and she's getting tired."

"Ah, facing against one's own strength can be like that," Theo said as the golem marched toward the barred hole, the size of three storey house.

Foquet stood over a mound of black dirt where an impression shaped like a slumped giant laid center of the hole. She frowned at this then noticed a solid thrown earth speeding at her. Her wand raised in reaction and the chants slipped from her mouth, unconsciously relinquish the spell that held her own golem. The earth halted but her golem collapsed below her feet. With a surprise cry, Foquet fall to the ground. Twirling in the air as dirt rain down on the courtyard below, she chanted the spell levitation, halting her inches from the earth.

Sighing in relief, she looked up and widened her eyes a big piece of earth smashed into her. Like a bull had rammed into her, she was sent tumbling across the courtyard. A rib crack when harden stone smashed, she would've screamed but sliding across cobblestones with no control does that.

"Oooh," Sheogorath winced. "That must have been painful."

"She's mortal, of course it's painful."

Shakily, she clutched the earth and weakly pushed herself up to a stand. Her visions wobble with half her body throbbing in bruise from abuse. Her wand still clutched tightly in her grip, miraculously unharmed. She squinted at her surrounding as pain clouded her mind, noticing a shadow standing right before the hole… surrounded with dirt.

She chanted, it swished its wand. Dirt moved, another piece of earth sped toward her. Foquet fall… or more sluggishly roll to the side. Swift wind fleet past her as the earth missed its target. Ground hitting her, she gritted her teeth as biting pain from her broken ribs clouded her visions. Whimpering as she got up again, she stared ahead and noticed hardened earth, shaped into spikes, impaling a certain shadowed being.

A brutal spell, one she hardly used. She was not a murderer, a thief perhaps that was willing to do the necessity, but never a brutal murderer. Foquet stepped forward but halted quickly, biting her lips, her shaky hand covering her broken left ribs. Slowly she shambled across the courtyard and levitated up the vault. Her willpower low, dangerously low, too low to even face a dot-class mage. Maybe enough for escape… maybe.

"I remembered the first time I fought against Shadowrend," Theo murmured softly as he floated invisibly adjacent to the treasury floor. "Tired, dead tired after that, and I'm still quite surprised I was willing to face Jyggalag," he said in nostalgia to the raven. "Ah the mortal me," he sighed as the raven fluttered its feather, watching the thief approaching a long case.

She unbelted the case and flip the lid open. A strange but yet beautiful, silver, ornate spear greeted her. Entranced by its sight, unconscious to the sudden heavy static in the air, her hand moved towards it, to claim her prize.

The two Princes frowned and looked at each other, recognizing the crackling of power in the air… similar to lightning.

"Bitter Mercy," they said in unison.

"You promised!" Nocturnal snapped, the raven squawking furiously. "It will kill her!"

Theodore was already gone. He stood instead right beside Foquet.

"Dear, I don't think you should touch that," he told the thief sharply right into her ear, breaking her trance.

Foquet spun, backing away immediately, her wand raised as she glared.

"Mr. Aegis," she hissed sharply at the Germanian noble staring at her impassively. "How did you— never mind!" she cut herself sharply. To put in simple terms, his sudden appearance shaken her. She was not ready to face another mage, not with low willpower.

"Do you know what you have there," he pointed at the spear before smiling at her cheerfully.

"The Staff of Destruction," she snapped and quickly with her other hand, reached to snatch the spear.

"**Don't!**" his voice cracked thunderously and her hand halted in obedience. With a much softer tone, he added bitterly, "A fitting name, truly for that spear." He gazed at it, giving a look one would have on their faces when stumbled upon a soured past acquaintance. "It wrought destruction to mortals and _immortals_, even its _wielder_. Best you don't touch," he chided her. "Unless, of course, you have divine backing," he joked.

"You know this artifact?" she narrowed her eyes as her hand clasped the case, stuffing her inquire on the immortal part.

"Me?" Theo smiled. "Well, I did won it off from my _un_brother in a bet. Where I came from, that spear is called Bitter Mercy," he told her. "It has power that even gods are vulnerable against… even when they are at their height of glory. Hircine rather lock it because of that," he rolled his eyes, not caring the confusion in the thief's face.

"Gods?" Foquet frowned.

"Really, locking that spear when it has better use than ritualistic hunting," he drolled on, ignoring the thief.

"Enough!" the thief snapped, her hand slid from the case lid and onto the spear. A raven burst into view, squawking violently at her face, startling her. She brushed the raven away, hand about to enclose the spear.

The germanian moved forward at that moment, faster than she anticipated, and before she knew it, she felt a fist right over her broken ribs. Pain bloomed and blinded her, blood spat from her mouth before she crumbled onto the ground, unconscious.

Theodore crouched before her and with a slight tilt of his head, he declared, "I won."

"The bets are off, Sheogorath." The raven squawked in agreement as it swooped back onto his shoulder. Its mistress fury clouding its eyes into abyss.

"You interrupted our current gamble, by default I won. And I stopped her from death," Sheogorath replied to the raven.

"_My _bird saved her," Nocturnal snapped back.

"Uh-uh," he chided back at the bird. "She would've still have grabbed the spear. If she had, she would've fail. I would've won the current bet and broken my promise to you." He gave a full grin at Nocturnal.

The raven fluttered its feather, bristling in fury. "To think I should've gambled against the Madgod!" the bird squawked then flew off his shoulder, disappearing into the shadows of the vault.

"Goodbye, Nocturnal! The thief must have disappointed you thoroughly," he chuckled deeply as the silent night air greeted him. He sighed, happy before looking down on the curled thief before his feet. "You, my dear, are a hero," he told her and picked her up, bridal-style. Giving a quick glance at the spear, he pondered for a moment then shrugged, simply walking out to the open night. He stopped and noticed two small figures down the courtyard. Both familiar.

Louise Valliere stared in shock at the destruction in front of her, woken from the loud smashing of giants battling. Siesta stood meekly by her side, slumped and guilt-ridden.

* * *

She frowned as something glaring piercing into darkness. Fluttering her eyes opened, she stared at an unfamiliar ceiling before alarm shrilled through her. She sat up immediately and realized she was in the academy's infirmary.

Why? Why wasn't she in prison? She wondered then brushed her hands against her face, feeling the slight buzzing beneath her skin. A leftover of her injuries. She was healed thoroughly, she thought when she felt the tingly sensation over her left ribs.

The door suddenly slammed opened, and she stiffened, hand tightened on her imaginary wand.

"Speaking of the hero, she's awake!" cried a very familiar voice, setting her immediately on edge.

Mathilda looked up in surprise to see Colbert walked in… as with that grinning Germanian with Headmaster trailing behind.

"Miss Longueville," Colbert called her politely. "The healer had told us you won't be up until a day or so," the balded mage added, correcting his spectacle slightly before gazing back at her with a sudden smiled.

She relaxed until she realized they were waiting for her to speak, "p-pardon?" she asked weakly.

Colbert just continued to smile before turning to the others. "We've heard what you did. You thwarted Foquet, the Crumbling Earth! Mr Aegis here told us you put your life for the academy."

What? Wait! She glanced at the germanian noble who was too busy balancing a staff on his hand. No… why would he… "I-I did?" she stared vaguely at Colbert.

"Foquet must have knocked her harder in the head! It's understandable if she's forgetful!" the germanian burst all of a sudden.

Colbert nodded in agreement.

"From this day on, Miss Longueville, I will never regret hiring you as my secretary!" Osmond declared.

Uh yes… the hiring. The reason she was here was because she let the old man groped her ass in the first place, much to her inner grimace. How low she has fallen… her shoulder slumped at the thought.

"Thank you, sir," she said neutrally and nodded.

"Besides, you have done an immense favor for keeping the Staff of Destruction off that, ahem, bastard thief's hand," Osmond continued. Her hand twitched at that. "If such powerful artifact fallen into such people like Foquet, we would hold responsible if innocents died." The old man stared at her for once, not lecherously, but seriously. "Anyway!" he broke contact, "We will celebrate you as the academy's hero. You'll be awarded with the Chevalier title in front of everyone to see at the Ball of Frigg!" the old man grinned toothily, dreaming of fine women in lovely dresses and all…

Theo made a face, smelling the vibe of Sanguine's from this one. Debauchery is strong with this one.

Colbert cleared his throat, returning the focus back to him. "Perhaps we should leave. Miss Longueville would need her rest for the celebration," he told them, ushering the Headmaster to leave before the old man could voice his opinion of being her healer instead of the current one.

Silence reigned until Mathilda focused on the germanian, who was staring at the bright daylight outside.

_He knows_.

"Mister Aegis," she began slowly.

"Please call me Theodore," he replied neutrally, his tone had no usual mirth in it.

She stared at him silently then finally said, "why?" she asked flatly.

"Why? I'll let you guess," he turned slightly, grinning at her before walking out of her room.

That… damn noble. Mathilda grimaced. She failed the heist, and her… sponsor won't like it.

"Now what are you all doing here!" she heard his muffle voice outside the door. "Begone! And you, Louise, I did not expect you to be an eavesdropper!" an exaggerated shocking gasp came after.

"You! Scolding me! There was Kirche and Guiche there also…" the voices faded away.

Mathilda was grateful for it. She sighed and just fell back to her pillow.

* * *

Martin looked up when his friend sit down, pouring tea into a cup… for a silver spear resting on the opposite chair.

"Spears do not drink, my friend," he told him the obvious.

"Hush! It's Bitter Mercy. It demands respect!" he snapped at his friend then went back cheerful as he turned to the rusty sword stabbed into the chair. "Derf, how about you?"

"Don't mind partner! Pour me a—" Derf immediately went silent. If he had a throat, he would've be gulping nervously.

Theodore blinked until the Madgod turned to the darken shadowed side of the room beside him. "Nocturnal," he cried and immediately poured tea into a cup before her.

The darkness glared before forming into the shape of alien yet beautiful pale woman, robed in fine threads that glittered muted stars of the darkest night.

"What favor you wish from me," she spoke coldly, cutting to business as she sat on the spot where Martin was.

Sheogorath slumped. "Is it always business all the time with you," he whined.

"Between us, yes," she said coldly.

He clutched his heart, heartbroken. "I thought we had a wonderful thing going," he lamented before his eyes gleamed. "You who holds the path to unlocking the hidden potentials within the shadows of fate," he said before snapping his finger.

Derf yelped when the sword suddenly swung into his hand.

"I ask only for you to return this sword to all the glory it _could _be," he handed the sword to her.

"That's it?" Nocturnal glanced at the mockery of a sword offered to her. She took it and smiled mysteriously. "Then it will be done," she said to him and the shadows retreated back to its corner.

Light reclaimed its territory, and there sat the Time Dragon again, basked within the sunlight.

"So, how did things go?" the ex-priest asked.

"It went well," Sheogorath smiled then sipped his tea. Lovely, isn't it? This feeling.

* * *

_Madness is simply parts of your psyche blown out of proportion and right into extremity. And what do you mean I should not point Wabbajack right at your head. You wanted sanity. I'm going to give you sanity. By balancing your brain out._

* * *

**I don't know what to feel about this chapter. Some part was like meh... but, I just wanted to show the Entrepreneur of Chaos, the Manager of Madness side of Sheogorath... sort of. Now I need to get that nonsense side of him spewing out...**

**I also wanted to continue writing onto the Ball of Frigg, but I don't want the point of view changing erratically around like some drunk.**

**There's also a lot of loose end in this chapter... which was intentional and hopefully not sloppy work.**

***Sigh* No one wants to be a beta-reader.**


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